SWA: Diclonius End Game
by ElfenMagix
Summary: A teenaged Diclonius in Italy is awaken, breaking her promises of self control, starting on a killing spree that rivals Lucy's. Can the cyborgs stop her? Staring the Fernando/Rachel Team.
1. Chapter 1

SWA: Diclonius End Game.

A Gunslinger Girl X Elfen Lied Crossover, by Elfen Magix.

* * *

Gunslinger Girl is © Yu Aida

Elfen Lied is © Lynn Okamotto

Elfen Magix is my online name since 1984 when the first BBSes and Hologate Email relays were online, long before the internet as you know it went online in 1992. It has no connection to Elfen Lied, and no, I did not lied!

* * *

An Appology; been trying to put this into the Gunslinger Girl Cross over section, but the site has been giving me problems. I'll try to get it fixed on some future date. PM me if you have a possible fix.

* * *

Chapter 1: Elfen Truths.

Three long weeks had passed since the final Diclonius Battle of Lucy vs. The Facility has happened. With damage and casualties in at least a Trillion Yen, The Corporation decides to lay low to lick its wounds while restitutions are paid to fix the damages and pay for funerals. It seems that director Kurama had left more than just a huge amount of cash in Nana's carry bag. At the bottom there also contained two envelopes, each with assorted paperwork and documents for Nana and Lucy. Yuka and Mayu both counted the money for Nana, as well as teaching her basic social survival skills for Nana to live on when these envelopes were found.

"Look what is in the bottom of the bag!", Mayu stated as she pulled out the envelopes.

"More money?", Nana asks.

Yuka took the envelopes from Mayu, "I don't think so… these seem to have your and Lucy's names on them."

"There is a note at the bottom too!", Mayu says as she pulls out a piece of paper from the bag.

"A note?", Nana asks.

"A letter…", Yuka asks as she takes it from Mayu. "Do you know how to read?"

"Read?", Nana asks.

"You know… be able to tell what markings on papers and other things are saying to you?", Yuka asks.

"Uhm…", Nana started to say.

"Alright. You do not know how to read. So I will read it to you because it could be something important.", Yuka says.

"I am not as dumb as I look…" Nana says. "I might not be able to read but they learned a lot from me back at the facility!"

"Nana… I think you should calm down.", Mayu stated to her. "We're a family now, and we are trying to help you."

"Right. You have so much to learn, and so little time to learn it in. So, let me read the letter to you.", Yuka says.

Nana does not know how to answer. Yuka starts reading the letter Mayu had found.

"Dearest Nana,

I hope you have had found some good friends to live with while I prepare myself to find you again. Someday soon I will leave this facility and find a place for us to stay and live. If for some reason I am caught or killed, I want you to continue living on without me. There are many things I need you to do, but first and most importantly, do not go after Lucy. She nearly killed you the first time, no doubt she will succeed where she left off.

Understand I still want you to be a good girl, and good girls will do good things. Perhaps your new found friends will continue to teach you how to be a good girl. Understand that money will not buy you happiness but it will buy you the things you need like food, shelter, and clothing.

In case you do find Lucy, there is an envelope I want you to give her. It's the one with her name on it. There is another with your name on it. In them are very important papers you two will need to survive in society. They are government documents stating who you are, they are papers that Identify you as who you are. It also states who your parents were- don't go looking for them for they are dead.

In case I have been caught or died, I want you to go to Italy. I have friends there in an agency called the Social Work Agency, that can give you new arms and legs that will work with your body and not like the ones you have which you need to use your vectors to use. They will do this favor for you if you mention my name to them. The information is in your envelope. There is also a set of mini-info sticks you can use if and when you need my advice or information on a standard pc.

Remember that papa always loves you."

Nana sits there looking at the stuff that they had counted over, then looks over the envelope Mayu was giving back to her.

"It's your personal information, you should open it.", Mayu said.

"No. You open it. I do not want to break anything.", Nana said.

Yuka takes the envelope and shows Nana how to undo its looped string on the back, then opens the flap, slowing spilling the contents inside:

- A small plastic bag with memory sticks, number 01 – 16

- Assorted folded documents, including a birth certificate and parents' death certificates.

- An agency ID-Tag

- A last will and testament of Director Kurama

- Director Kurama's credit and agency ID cards

Yuka takes a look at the bag of memory sticks then she gets an Idea.

"I'll be right back!", as she gets up and runs out the room with the bag of memory sticks.

"Where do you think she maybe going?", Nana asks.

"I don't know, but I doubt she would not be leaving the house.", Mayu answers.

In the background there is some yelling and screaming by Yuka, which suddenly ends. This is followed by the patter of running feet, and Yuka entering the room. She was holding a large screen Sony laptop tight to her chest. Soon she was sitting down, setting the laptop down and turning it on. The 'Windows XP' Logo comes on the screen, followed soon by its login screen. Yuka manages to login, getting a desktop and other 'Windows' functions.

"What is that?", Nana asks.

"That is a laptop computer.", Mayu says.

"I have seen them being carried around the facility, but I never knew what they were for.", Nana said.

"It is for viewing, creating and updating information.", Yuka explains. "Almost everyone has one once they get to a certain age."

Yuka opens the plastic bag with the memory sticks in it, removing memory stick #01 from it. Putting it into the laptop's memory stick slot, it only takes it a few seconds for it to be recognized as memory drive. It auto-loads a program and starts running a multi-media file.

"Are we finally going home?" Rachel asks.

"Hopefully by the end of the month, if not the middle of next month.", Fernando answers as he fills out some paper work, "If there is no more funny business. 5 years in this place is enough for anyone."

Rachel smiles, as this is the moment she has been waiting for ever since she had arrived here so long ago. Juanita enters the room.

"I just want to know one thing, Fernando. Are you going to set fire to bridges and intend not to ever return here?", Juanita asks.

"I'm thinking about it.", Fernando answers.

"I swear, Fernando!", Juanita almost yells.

"Swear at what?", Fernando asks.

"You're impossible at times!", Juanita holds back from yelling.

"You just hold on a minute yourself. All this time we were here, you always took me too seriously! I need this place for Rachel's needs, so it would be to my advantage to be friends with everyone here.", Fernando explains rather loudly. "This is not like high school when all of us were in each other's minds and making demands upon one another that most would not pay! You remember where we came from and the things we did together!"

Juanita bows her head for a second.

"We are just turning 30, woman. And yet of all our friends of that time, out of the 40-odd members of the Shortfellow Society, only 8 of us are still alive? Don't you think that was too high a price to pay?", Fernando says to prove a point.

"I see your point.", Juanita answers as she turns away to walk out the door.

She could not as Ferro walks to the door, both of them facing each other momentarily in the doorway.

"You should stay as I do have to speak to the both of you.", Ferro tells her.

"Uhm... Sure.", Juanita says as she steps backwards into the room.

Ferro waits a couple of seconds for the distance between them grows a bit more before entering the room. She takes a couple of steps into the room, taking count of who was there.

"Good afternoon, everyone.", Ferro started to say.

"What's so good about it?", Fernando asks.

"Always negative, aren't you?", Ferro says.

"Every silver lining has its cloud in my world, ", Fernando says, "But you should know that by now. So, what's up?"

Ferro gives out envelopes to Fernando, Juanita, and Rachel. "Its been five years, though the naturalization process is shorter here than in the states, you three have been here on work visas for too long now. You three have done more than most, done so without want or demand of rewards. You have been given Italy's highest honors, and yet that is not enough. So, as an officer of the state, I have to proclaim you three as members of the Italian Citizenry."

"Italian Citizenry?", Juanita asks.

"Citizens of Italy, Juanita. Big deal.", Fernando stated. "Being a citizen only means that they can rule over you by their laws. I am a citizen of the United States of America by birth, and a citizen of Spain and Japan by actions of honor. But all I wanted was peace."

Fernando sits on his bed. Meeshie trots over to him and allows him to pick her up and place her on his lap, petting her. Rachel sits on the bed next to him and leans against him.

"Rachel understands. Juanita knows but does not understand. But you Ferro, you never been through my hell. And though my life here in this institution has been rather calmer than much of my life, it is still not peaceful. So excuse me if I decide to rescind this gracious gift, for it pale in comparison to what I gave so that others can sleep at night knowing that they are safe in their beds. Now, if you don't mind, I have a headache and am going to need some time out to deal with it." Fernando tells her.

Rachel gives him a kiss on the cheek before getting up off the bed. She then walks over to Juanita and takes her wrist, pulling her towards the door. "Daddy wants to be left alone. So lets go.", Rachel says as she drags Juanita, and then starts to push Ferro out the door. In a few moments, the door closes behind them and a loud discussion can be heard, with Rachel saying the final word, "My father wants to be left alone. So leave him alone unless you want to regret what actions may happen if you don't!"

Fernando waits as the footsteps and the voices in the hall fade into the distance. Once he is unable to hear them with his sensitive ears, he gets up and walks over to his clothes closet, and digs through one of his suits. He pulls out a bottle of pills from one of the pockets, taking them to the bathroom. He opens the bottle and pours the contents into the toilet.

"It has been 10 long years I allowed myself to take this poison. Ten years of having my senses dulled. Ten years of having not heard another's mental voice inside my head or read another's mind. Not being able to sense the world like I used to do. It ends today. Even if it means having to deal with the pain of being hypersensitive again, so be it."

- - - -

Notes:

Shortfellows – A private and semi secret organization that started out as a high school club of intellectuals and experimenters. In their tenure in school, they has saved the school from various forms of internal acts terrorism and crimes by other groups and individuals seeking to corrupt or take over the system.


	2. Chapter 2

SWA: Diclonius End Game.

A Gunslinger Girl X Elfen Lied Crossover, by Elfen Magix.

* * *

Gunslinger Girl is © Yu Aida

Elfen Lied is © Lynn Okamotto

Elfen Magix is my online name since 1984 when the first BBSes and Hologate Email relays were online, long before the internet as you know it went online in 1992. It has no connection to Elfen Lied, and no, I did not lied!

* * *

Appologies to the numerous replacement of this chapter. It seems every time I edit it to fix some formatting error, another one crops up. So it has been rewritten via a text dump and cut and pasted into place. Hope this solves the formatting errors I have been experiencing.

* * *

Chapter 2: Elfen Lies

"Whether I am dead or alive does not matter right now. All I care is that you are alive and doing well. As you see, there are 15 other memory sticks with this one on subjects you will need to learn about. But most importantly is memory stick #03. It will reveal to you various things you need to know before going to Italy and finding the SWA. I hope your new found friends will help you in this task.

If you want to go straight to memory stick #03, you can pause this recording here and do go to #03."

The girls look at each other for a moment.

"You want to see memory stick #03?", Yuka asks.

Nana could only look at her, unsure how to answer.

"If it means that you are to get new arms and legs, if I were you, I would see what it has to say.", Mayu says.

Nana thinks for a while of having her arms and legs working again, not needing to use her vectors in controlling them. She wonders if they would be like Bondo's hand, mechanical in nature or would it be something more. She looks down at her arms, hands and legs before looking at anyone else in the room.

"Show… Me… Number 3…", Nana says.

Yuka end the program, removes the memory stick and replaces it with memory stick #03. Like before, it loads a media playing program and begins to play back the recording within.

"Hello my darling Nana,

I see you have decided to at least look into replacing those arms and legs of yours with something that actually works. Before I tell you how, I need to tell you many things…

First off, though you are a Diclonius Human Being, you are still human. You have shown that like any other human child, you live, love and learn. You do not kill or act violently because you were not taught those things…"

For the next hour or so, the video discuses about her and Lucy, about the SWA and its cyborg program, of the people she is to meet there, things she has to say, and what may happen to her if something were to go wrong. Though there is a risk of her being recaptured, this time by a different government and agency for Diclonius research, there is also a chance that she would become a killing machine for them. It is explained, that though Kurama had friends within the SWA Medical staff, some favors may not be fulfilled or returned. Yuka and Mayu take careful notes of this recording that names names and places, of where to go and who to see.

Kurama had also left other items to be picked up by Nana, for when she leaves Italy, or even decides to stay at home in Kamakura, Japan, but she would have to travel to Tokyo to get them. For the time being, this is not important, getting to convince the others, Kouta and Lucy/Nyu, is.

All persons who have been on a long term drug, especially on a high dosage of one, are to be weaned off it, taking lower doses until there is no more doses to take. Fernando's decision of cutting off his medication outright is going to be a decision he will greatly regret at least for the immediate short term. He rests with an arm over his eyes, the inside of the elbow upon his nose. If he is asleep, it is a very light one. It is not rest that he wants or needs, but peace. Peace of mind and body. For years he had to deal with chemical surges that created peaks and valleys in his sensory nervous system, the same surges that has also messed with his motor control and kept his superhuman strength at bay.

As the medication slowly wears off, even in his light sleep he can feel his body being infused with the energy he once controlled. His altered sense of reality he once knew slowly returns. The dimensional plane which he resided on begins to grow. Like a proto-star, his being ignites from within and begins to glow. Unfortunately, it does not go unnoticed. As Juanita sits at the cafeteria, she senses something has awakened within her. She drops her fork by its disturbance.

More than 30 years ago, two individuals would be born weeks apart to different parents. For years they would lead slightly more than normal lives. These two would be born with the reason why most twins can communicate with each without verbal or external stimulus- for they were born with the same brain frequencies and patterns. They would be connected to each without being aware of the other's presence until the faithful day they would meet.

Schizophrenia is the term used for minority of individuals who are out of control of the telepathic abilities they have. The 'voices inside their heads' are the thoughts of others they perceive as their own. Thus a telepath who is out of control of their ability is a dangerous individual, who the government tries to quell into silence, use drugs to nullify their abilities, and institute them into herds of the insane in mental hospitals. They do have a choice in what happens to them. But a telepath who has control of their abilities is not part of this circle, and few are ever realized by various agencies that would want to capture them for their talents. Juanita and Fernando are just two of a handful that managed to get away.

Their meeting would happen by chance in a high school so long ago and far away…

_She walks into the room silently, walking to the back of the room where we were. Once besides Cathy, I put down my pen and look up at her as she looks down at me. She bends over slightly and takes my hand._

_"Juanita/Fernando?", they say the other's name to each other._

_"You too know each other?", Cathy asked as she turn to see her friend._

_"We know of each other's presence.", they say together._

_"Wait... stop that, its getting spooky.", Cathy said._

_"So, you're the one.", they both say to each other. Cathy gets up and takes Juanita by the hand, taking her outside of the room._

_"Juanita, what's wrong with you?", Cathy stares into her blank eyes._

_"We're finally connected...", Juanita says._

_"What are you talking about?!!", Cathy asks._

_"He, I are finally connected as one.", Juanita says._

_"Juanita... don't be going all freaky on me...!", Cathy tells her as she takes her further into the hall, and decides to take her as far as possible to one of her hiding spots, the staircase under the auditorium._

_Once there, Juanita winces for a moment, and rubs her temple, trying to shake off what just happened. "Cathy?", she than asks, "Where are we?"_

_"We're under the auditorium, but never mind that. What happened in 1E17?", Cathy asks._

_"I don't know how to describe it...", Juanita started to explain, "Look, remember when I told you that I can read people's thoughts, and you said I was crazy?"_

_"I still think that you are.", Cathy tells her._

_"But... seriously, Cathy. It's like me and Fernando are sharing some sort of connection. Once I touched him, and took his hand, that connection finally completed. It's like we are standing in space, holding hands, looking into each other's eyes and our thoughts and feelings intermingle around us.", Juanita explained._

_"Are you telling me that you two are connected like twins are?", Cathy asked._

_"Something like that but more so, Cathy. Much more so.", Juanita tries to explain._

Since that day so long ago, Juanita and Fernando have been literally in each other's mind, thoughts and dreams. That was until the youngest member of the group, Denise, was killed in an auto accident. She was 18 when the others were already in their mid 20's at the time of her demise. Since then, Fernando no longer wanted to hear the voices of other as mass depression fell upon the group. He no longer wanted to read the minds for they all said the same thing. He decided to end his abilities because he was not able to save some one that he cared for so much. Upon taking the first pill so long ago, he disconnected from Juanita in more ways than one could comprehend. Ten years later, the connection would reestablish itself as the effects of the drug in his system would fade away. It will take days for it to be completely flushed out of his system.

The group itself was tied together by a very power empathic being, despite her age, as both a receptive and projective empath. She knew the power she had on others, and she welded it like a weapon upon the heads of others. The only ones who were able put her in check was Fernando and Juanita, though connected to each other, they were receptive and projective telepaths in their own right. They had never intentionally used their projective abilities on anyone, but unless forced to do so by her. She had pushed them to their limits, including almost discovering their secret of their other ability: Telekinesis. Juanita has a very weak telekinetic ability, Fernando was a bit stronger, though neither have used this ability in force or fight. In fact, with Fernando, he used his ability to sense the world around him when his eyes could no longer can. In these early days, it was not sure if Fernando's blindness was going to be permanent. But when angered, this ability sometimes lashes out destructively, thus he tempers his anger to the best of his ability. People used to think Fernando was so cool that he was beyond anger, but Juanita knew otherwise. Then there was Fernando's Red Eyes persona; a monstrous fractured entity that only came out in extreme anger and emergency with the strength and speed of 10 times what Fernando was. Fernando worked long and hard to contain and control Red Eyes, but he does slip out, often causing destruction and mayhem. Fortunately for all, Red Eyes does not have telepathic or telekinetic abilities, nor had he ever attacked an innocent. He is incapable of speech. But for those unfortunate to have meet him head on, Red Eyes only gives 1 warning: during the 5 second transformation which brings him out, Fernando's eyes glow bright red from the pupils, and both the irises and sclera turn blood red. This can be noticed through the dark lenses of his glasses, but many had scoff at this dramatic transformation, often to their demise. Red Eyes had never killed, but he has put people on life support and permanently in wheelchairs, and has caused tens of thousands of dollars of damage as he would flip over automobiles and heavy machinery like a rampaging kindergartener through a city of blocks.

Juanita sits there in awe, staring blankly out straight ahead. It not goes unnoticed by the others as they stare back at her.

"Juanita?", Ferro asks. She calls to her again, reaching out to give her a shove on the shoulder, "Juanita?..."

Juanita remains unresponsive to Ferro's attempt of getting her attention. She goes through the countless of shared memories as fast as her mind could process.

_The female response is something Fernando will never get used to. Like all the others, this was not a playful-type slap in the face- it was one of the violent given- violence needs to be returned slaps, for which Fernando must hold in his anger or else Red Eyes comes to visit. She states and shows that she loves him as Fernando does his best in returning it, and at the same time Fernando gets punished for it. Fernando does not get it._

_Fernando keeps his eyes closed, holding back the tears that may summon Red Eyes. Fernando can hear her take a couple of steps, backing away from me._

_"Then what are the right reasons?", Fernando says to himself._

_"Love, friendship, trust, honesty...", she said softly while opening the stairway door. Fernando opens his eyes knowing that she is far enough away to make it fourth time. Somehow a tear manage to escape as it runs down the right side of his face._

_"I thought we had all that...", Fernando stated to her._

_"And you also have it with Cathy, and Juanita, and Denise, and some little sophomore girl Cathy is trying to hook you up with, and with almost every drowned girl in this school you have pulled out of the pool..." as she continues, almost complaining._

_"But I will only have one wife- a mate for life, a friend forever, and I will make her the most happiest woman on this planet- no matter how rich or poor we may end up...", Fernando says as he leans against the wall, staring at his sneakers. Fernando did not notice her coming back slowly and quietly until she was almost up on him._

_"That's the problem, Fernando ...", as she puts her arms around him and leans her head against his chest, "...you're too perfect."_

_"Perfect?", Fernando asked, almost tensing up- sensing that there would be another slap coming up, "I... I've been hurt, sick, drugged out, crippled, blinded, cooked and radiated- Omff!", Fernando didn't expect her to elbow him in the stomach._

_"And you talk too much when you do talk...", continuing to lean against him as if nothing happened, "Just shut up and stay still for me..."_

_Fernando sighed as she leaned against him for what few minutes that seems to be hours. Beyond the sounds of the Mr. Fonder finishing up his work of class torturing through delanie-card redefinition, at the opposite end of the east side hall, Fernando can hear steps and voices heading towards their direction. Two of the voices Fernando recognize as Juanita and Denise._

_"Evadney...?", Fernando softly speaks._

_She's not pleased with the interruption, "What is it..."_

_"I think Denise and Juanita are coming- and they sound angry about something.", Fernando tell her._

_"Denise can go to ...", Evadney whispers, but interrupted._

_'Bam! ', the center section corridor doors swing open violently and crash against the walls, Denise standing in between them as if she were about to vaporize everything in her path. The spring loaded hinges refuse to close the doors, as if some force beyond heaven and earth was pinning them against their place on the walls. The few SOS'es that were there for their standing patrol, run like scattering mice away from the cat that just pounce into the room._

_Fernando close his eyes and concentrate on to both their brain frequencies, though tired as Fernando was and finding it difficult to even find the concentration he needed. Even sharing the same frequencies with them, locking onto their thoughts was not going to be easy._

_In Denise's mind, there is a turmoil of images and loud words- another fight between her, Juanita, Kevin, Raul and Todd. Other images of Cathy's demise float about her head. And yet, she thinks that Fernando will be the savior and solution to all of the world's problems._

_"...Pompous little bitch- isn't she?" Evadney continues whispering._

_"I heard that- 'Vadnee!", Denise yells from the middle of the hall._

_"How could she...?", Evadney whispers._

_"Telepathy....", Fernando whispers back._

_"Telepathy- from me?... ooohh....!", Evadney increases the volume a bit between us with a tone of anger. She turns her head to face Denise._

_"No, from me... most of the time I can block her out...", as Fernando whispers in her ear._

_"...but if I can read his mind when he is tired- I can read her mind too!", from across the hall Denise exclaims as she closes the distance between them. Juanita walks behind her as quietly as she could, Denise is too focused on him to even notice Juanita's presence._

_"How?", Evadney asked._

_"Long story... Explain tomarrow... Now go...", Fernando whispers to her._

_"Mmm..", in impatience and protest she complains._

_"Go! Before she starts hitting on you too...", as Fernando gently push her through the stairway door._

_"Fern...!", she squeals as Fernando push her out into the stairwell and close the door behind her. Denise gets behind him and pulls him away from the door by his arm. She tries to turn him around, but Fernando refuse to budge. When she couldn't turn him, she started to hitting on him- pounding with the side of her fists on his back. Juanita finally approaches to the side of him and grabbing his arm, pulls him away from Denise and stands between them._

_"What do I have to do to get your god-damned attention- Fernando!", as Denise tries to reach around Juanita to grab on him again, Juanita tries her best to keep Denise at bay._

_"What happened...?", Fernando whispers at Juanita._

_"Your bitch of a girlfriend, that's what happened!", Denise yells while trying to get a hold of him around Juanita._

_"Calm yourself- will you!", Juanita yells at Denise, but Denise tries to rush through Juanita to get at him. Juanita manages to slap Denise on the face. Denise steps back in shock and trips on her own feet landing on her butt on the floor._

_"Remember your manners... and your elders, young'in!", Juanita points at Denise, with her rare southern accent that only comes out during when she's very angry. Juanita angry? All things are possible. Fernando just don't ever want her angry at him._

_"So what happened?", Fernando asked._

_"Todd is fighting Kevin and Raul again.", Juanita stated while keeping a pointed finger and a stern stare on Denise. Denise stays put on the floor- silent and unchallenging._

_"So how is Cathy involved?", Fernando asked her again._

_"Its a long story, but first... Get out and wait for us at 1E17...!", Juanita orders Denise to leave. Denise gets up from the floor and runs down the stairs in a blurred motion that defies humanity itself. Juanita turns around and hugs him- lack of strength tells him that she must be exhausted; very exhausted._

_"Cathy was waiting....", she started to tell him of what happened, but Fernando covered her mouth to prevent her from continuing..._

Somehow it made no sense to her as to how this could be happening. As far as she can remember, after Denise's funeral, Fernando was in a car wreck of his own- totaling his 1995 Dark Blue VW Corrado which he modified its engine to Porsche specifications. They would disconnect as he laid in a hospital bed in a coma that lasted less than a week. They would never reconnect again. Another shared memory races through her head… one she strangely treasures the most from when they first met.

_Much of the classes were as they were if you can call them as 'normal.' Strangely, Fernando sat down with his lunch, expecting not to be disturbed, but is- not by Cathy, but by Juanita. Except for Cathy or Evadney checking up on him, Fernando usually eat alone, even the table he sit at is empty, despite how crowded the rest of the lunchroom seemed to be._

_"How are you doing?", Juanita asks, as she sat across from him._

_"Juanita?", Fernando asked as he poked his finger into certain areas of his food tray to see where everything was at. He can sense Juanita staring at him oddly as he did this. "It's to find out what is where, Juanita.", Fernando then tells her, before picking up the hamburger._

_"Oh…", Juanita says to herself._

_"What brings you here?", Fernando asks her._

_"Nothing much, just you.", she replies._

_"So, I'm nothing much?", Fernando asks._

_"No! I did not mean it that way…", Juanita started to say in her defense._

_"Then what are you trying to say?", Fernando then ask. Juanita sat there in silence staring back at him. With her not answering right then and there, Fernando starts eating his burger. After the 3rd bite, Fernando reaches for the milk without looking for it, where his hand collides with hers as they both had reached for it together. The small carton was about to fall onto its side, Fernando quickly alter his path and grab it before it falls. Perhaps a 1/2 second later, Juanita's hand grab at the backside of his hand._

_"Juanita…", Fernando started to says to her._

_"My, you are fast.", she says to herself._

_"Why are you holding my hand?", Fernando asks her._

_"Oh… I was trying to get the milk for you, but you got it before I did.", she tried to explain._

_"And what about now?", Fernando asked._

_"Well, we knocked it down, and I tried to get it before it fell, but you got to it first again.", she tries to answer._

_"There is something more to it than just that, Juanita.", Fernando tells her._

_"You seem to function quite well… despite the obvious handicap you have.", Juanita says trying to change the subject._

_"Why are you here?", Fernando asks as he takes his hand from hers and start to open the milk carton._

_"I'm here for you. Like the others do, helping you out in your daily needs in getting around this place.", she finally answers, though he can sense that she is not telling the truth._

_"There is more to it than just that, Juanita…", Fernando tells her._

_For a moment she does not answer. "Do you know what it is like to see the world from another person's eyes?", she then asks._

_"Explain that one?", Fernando asked._

_"You know, with that ability we both have- being able to read other people's minds, have you ever gone into their heads and look out from their eyes?", she asks._

_"I would say no, but if you are any bit as gifted as I am, you know that it's not the truth. Have you?", Fernando asks._

_"No, except for those times when I see into their minds to read it and I get a glimpse of what they are seeing…", Juanita answers._

_"Same here.", Fernando tells her._

_"Ever switched places with anyone?", she then asks._

_"No. Uhm, what are you trying to get at?", Fernando asked._

_"I'm just trying to understand why are we so connected, it's like you're a part of me.", Juanita tried to explain._

_"I don't know why we are connected, maybe one day we will find out.", Fernando answered her._

_"But have you ever switched places with anyone- you know, psychically?", Juanita asks._

_"I don't trust anyone in doing that with.", Fernando answer her._

_"What about me?", Juanita asks._

_"Before I tell you 'NO!'- Why would you want to trade places with me?", Fernando asks._

_"I just want to get to know you as best as I can…", she stated._

_"You're in my mind, like I am in yours- how much more would you want to know of me?", Fernando asks her._

_"Totally…", she answers._

_"OK- not that I would agree to this- but what if in being switched, I do things in your place that you would not do?", Fernando asks her._

_"The same would apply to me of you.", she answers._

_"What if I take your body and sell it on 42nd street…", Fernando tells her._

_"You would not do that…", Juanita says in an angered tone._

_"Juanita, one of the few differences we have is that I'm sexually experienced and aware, while you're still a virgin. While being switched, what is to stop me from using your body from having to fulfill one of my sexual desires?", Fernando asks._

_"I'll kill yours.", Juanita stated._

_"I would like you to even try… and once you succeed, you will die in my body and I'm still in yours, still living on and doing as I please in your female form.", Fernando tells her._

_"You would not be able to live my life, because you do not know what kind of life I lead.", Juanita says._

_"No, but I would be leading it as I see fit.", Fernando tells her. "Now, do you think you want to switch places with me psychically? Do you even now trust me in that?"_

_For the moment, she sits there in awed silence, just enough for him to continue enjoying his lunch._

_"We're too much alike, we almost think the same way, you and I- both share something that most twins have, so for me not to trust you, would be one twin not trusting the other.", Juanita stated._

_"What in like some cases, one twin does not like the other?", Fernando asked._

_"Would you accept that? Would you not try work it out with me so that we as (mental) twins can work things out?", Juanita asks._

_"Right now, no.", Fernando tells her, but adding, "Maybe, someday in the future I will."_

_"Maybe there is some hope for you after all.", Juanita says, almost to herself._

_"Look, girl, my world is nothing like yours. I have issues and problems to deal with, one of them being at this disadvantage of being blind for who knows how long, maybe for ever…", Fernando started to say._

_"If you want me to be your eyes, I'll be them for you.", Juanita says._

_"You and I know that you cant do that, so why even offer them to me?", Fernando tells her._

_"I'm trying to do the proper Christian thing, you know- help out.", Juanita says._

_"The proper Christian thing to do is to leave me alone, for I seek no one's help in my life.", Fernando tells her sternly. She can only sit there trying to think of the best response to answer._

_"You really want to switch places?", Fernando asks as he puts his burger down and lean towards her. She only stares back, wanting to answer but doesn't. Fernando reaches over behind her head and pulls her towards him as he leans towards her until their foreheads touch. Behind his glasses, Fernando closes his eyes and concentrates hard. On the physic level where exists a plane of reality only known to a few, Fernando steps up to her and takes both of her hands, which she does so give reluctantly. Taking a step to the left, he pulls her to the right, starting a dizzying spin upon the point where they share existence together as one. Once they reach a high enough speed, Fernando lets her go, where she flies off to his side of the realm and he to hers._

_They sit there very still, trying to accept that they had switch places with their bodies in silence. For now they communicate through their connection. Fernando finds it fun and perhaps fascinating to be in her place, she finds it very bit horrific to be in his._

_"It's All White… You cant see at all…", she says through their connection._

_"I have my ways in seeing things. You just do not understand them, yet.", Fernando tells her._

_He can see that she is wearing a knee-high wrap-around grey skirt, being held together by 2 rather large safety pins, each almost 6 inches long; one at her waist, the other further down her right leg. Other than the usual blouse, bra, panties, pantyhose, ankle socks and slip-on shoes, the only thing Fernando finds interesting if the skirt. It is of a design of which he had never saw, only requiring the 2 large safety pins to hold it together; 'I'm too used too zippers, buttons and belted loops.', he thought. But this was simple- a material that reached down to the knees, wrapped 1 and a 1/4 times around with the pins holding it in place, with the top pin doing much of the work of keeping it up and the bottom pin making sure that it does not open too far when moving or sitting._

_She also finds out that they now have access to the other's memories, and of course, physical abilities._

_"I thought I would never see myself through another person's place. Well, other than Rachel's, I mean.", Fernando almost says to himself._

_"Rachel… Your god-daughter. But you accepted her as your own, with no strings or favors attached… I would kill you if you did.", Juanita says in slightly above a whisper to him as she accesses those memories._

_"I have to ask, why are you letting what happened this past summer haunt you?", Fernando asks her._

_"Don't review that memory…", Juanita says to him._

_"Its reviewing itself, like you're allowing it to, on automatic play. Look- bad things happen to good people, and from what I see here, Cathy sacrificed herself to save you from being raped. She had already told you that you don't owe her a thing, so leave it be. Don't let it bother you, life goes on.", Fernando tells her._

_"But I cant help it.", Juanita says._

_"Look-", as Fernando points down to the corridors of his memories. "You think everyone of those doors can be opened? You would be a fool if you think you can.", Fernando tells her, "All you need to do is to lock this memory away, but good."_

_"But how?", Juanita asks._

_"By just doing it.", Fernando tells her._

_"How?", Juanita asks once more._

_"Like this…", Fernando tells her, as he grabs onto the memory and drag it into the dark confines of her brain where its placement could be found wide open. Fernando throws it back into its place, securing it tightly against its moorings and then slams its access door onto it. "If you are going to go up against me, you are going to need to get yourself in order, you cant have memories like these haunt you.", Fernando tells her as he walks back to face her again._

_"It's not easy.", Juanita says._

_"It's easy to be scared. It's easy to let things get to you. It's easy to give up. It's not easy to be in control, and you have to be.", Fernando tells her. She sits there staring at him knowing that Fernando is right as he waits for an answer. Fernando gets none from her at the moment. "Now, is it bothering you anymore?", Fernando asked._

_"Not at the moment…", Juanita started to say. "…but what about when I meet up with Cathy?"_

_"It wont bother you anymore unless you access that memory deliberately. Hopefully by then you would be more capable of handling it.", Fernando tells her. If anything, her response was letting out a very deep seated breathe, as if she was holding it back for years._

_In the long moment of silence that passed, she as him reached out to take his hands as hers._

_"It would be safe if we stayed together until we switch back." she said to him._

_"We can switch back now if you like.", Fernando tells her._

_"No… not now. There is… so much to learn… to get to understand you… you know what I mean?", she tries to say._

_"We cant go to class then.", Fernando said to her._

_"Where can we go?", she asks._

_"We cant cut classes, we would be caught.", Fernando says._

_"I know…", she replies._

_"Then where too?", Fernando asked._

_"There is no place to go…", Juanita started to say._

_"The park across the street.", Fernando interrupted her._

_"The Park… why?", Juanita asked._

_"We could sit down by the tree and spend the rest of the afternoon there. Hopefully not to be disturbed by anyone.", Fernando explained._

_"What about the other Shortfellows?", Juanita asked._

_"What about them?", Fernando asked in turn._

_"Well, don't you want to be left alone?", Juanita asked._

_"Being left alone is not going to happen. How many kids go to this school, 18,000?, 19,000? It's a lot.", Fernando tried to explain._

_"I don't know how many, but it's a lot.", Juanita started to answer._

_"Then the park it is.", Fernando tell her._

_"What about the other Shortfellows showing up there?", she asks._

_"Not during the day. They will have classes to go to.", Fernando answered._

_"What about the police or truant officers?", she asks._

_"It's more than 1/2 the day is gone. They do not care after a certain time.", Fernando explained. "Besides, they would go after the burn outs, before they would go after us." Fernando again answered._

_"Is there any question you don't have an answer too?", she asks._

_"You're the one in my head. You tell me.", Fernando tells her._

_"I'd swear- are you this arrogant all the time?", Juanita asks._

_"Most of the time, not all of the time.", Fernando answers her._

_"I see… all of the time then.", she says to herself. "You know, that's not a good way to get a girlfriend."_

_"Who says that I want a girl friend?", Fernando asked her._

_"Every guy wants a girlfriend.", she says._

_"I've been through more than enough with my former girlfriends. I don't think I want another one for at least a longtime.", Fernando tells her._

_"What about…", she started to ask._

_"Look, the only reason I would want a girl friend is for sex. Nothing more.", Fernando tells her. "All this about love and companionship is nothing more than the fancy wrapping on those basic needs. And right now, thanks to the bullcrap my last girlfriend put me through, you ladies are not worth the effort for a bit of physical enjoyment."_

_"So, you're…", Juanita started to ask._

_"Not a virgin… my memories are your if you want to know. I already accessed yours, and I know that you still are.", Fernando tells her. She just looks at him almost sadly, more like betrayed. "You said that you wanted to know everything about me- I did of you by accessing your memories… even the dark ones and the private ones. There is nothing to hide from me. What I don't understand is how."_

_"How, what?", she asks._

_"How can we be so connected and yet be so physically different.", Fernando explained._

_"I do not know.", she answers. "Maybe God wanted us to be for some reason."_

_"Hmmm… God. You believe in that guff?", Fernando said to her._

_"I see you that you do.", Juanita stated._

_"Are we going to stay here or are we going out?", Fernando asked her._

"_I…", she started to say._

_"Enough of this.", Fernando said as he got up, took her hand and got her to get up and follow him. Fernando, in Juanita's body, picked up both their book bags and walked with Juanita in his body, taking his arm in hers, leading him to the teacher's elevator. There they waited momentarily for it to arrive. They both tried to walk in._

_"Only he can come in here.", the elevator operator stated._

_"But…", Fernando started to say, almost forgetting that they had switched bodies._

_"I need some help getting to the general office, can she come help me, please?", Juanita stated._

_"Hmm… I'll let is slide this time…", the elevator operator says, letting them in before closing the door and taking them down on the 1st floor express._

_Together they get off, and looked around the hallway._

_"The general office is that way.", the elevator operator says as she points to the doorway 1/2 way down the hall._

_"Thank you.", Fernando tells her before pulling on Juanita to follow her. The elevator operator closes the door and heads to another floor._

_"Aright. We'll walk out the doors and go to the park… right?", Fernando says to him._

_"I don't know…", Juanita replies._

_"I think God put you here to be my conscious…", Fernando said to herself._

_"I heard that…", Juanita says._

_"Then good, follow me.", Fernando tells him, as she started to go to the Center West exits. Juanita hesitantly follows._

_The SOSes at the door look at us, standing their ground to prevent anyone from exiting._

_"I'm beginning to hate these guys.", Fernando said silently to herself._

"_Just walk to the door and simply say 'Excuse us.'", Juanita whispered back at her._

"_Yeah, like that would work.", Fernando whispers back as they made it down the stair case._

_"It does if you're a girl.", Juanita whispers back with a slight nudge to the ribs._

_"Come on, we got to get you home.", Fernando says out loud, as they walk off the stairs and towards the doors. The SOSes stare back._

_"Do you mind not rushing me?", Juanita almost argues back as they walked to the doors, stopping in front of the SOSes._

_"You cant leave through these doors.", the tallest one says to them, as if he were the leader of the group._

_"And why not?", Fernando asked._

_"Juanita!", Juanita says to get her attention._

_He quickly turns to her, "Oh sorry…", then turn back to him. "He has a doctor's appointment. Can we please go out through these doors?", Fernando asked in a more calmer tone. Juanita slowly traces the foot to the one closest to her by the door with the cane._

_"Once you leave, you can not return.", the SOS states. "Even if you were allowed to walk out these doors, we forbid you from doing so."_

_"OH, That's it…", Fernando says out loud._

_"Juanita!", Juanita says again to get her attention. "I can always miss my appointment, then I bring my parents here and have them deal with whoever these jerks are from stopping me from going to my doctor appointment."_

_"If you have to go, then go out the North East Exit.", the SOS says._

_"And have him walk back down the block again?", Fernando blurted out._

_The sound of walkie-talkies fill the area, as two security guards step out from the side stair case doorways._

_"Well, what seems to be the problem?", one of them says, who Fernando recognize as Al._

_"I…I mean he has a doctor's appointment.", Fernando started to say._

_"Aright then. We can let him go, but what about you?", Al says as the security guards walked towards them._

_Fernando gets a slight nudge to the ribs again, "I need help to get there, it's a different route from home and she was going to help me get there.", Juanita explained._

_"I see.", Al stated._

_"We usually don't get any trouble from you, Ms Strickland.", the other guard stated, who's voice Fernando recognized as Valerie's._

_"I thought I could help take him there and then come back to make up the work of the day.", Fernando said._

_"Hmmm…", they both looked at them.._

_'What are we going to do now?', Fernando send a mental message to Juanita._

_'You should have played better as a girl, you dimwit…', Juanita mentally stated back._

_"Considering that you're such a nice girl, we will let you go this time…", Al says to them. "But if we catch you two doing something you should not be doing, you will be in a lot of trouble, Miss."_

_"Thank you…", they both tell them, as the door is opened for them. They walked out slowly. Fernando tells Juanita about the step in front of them, but he almost falls off it anyways. Fernando manages to hold him and keeps him from falling. Together they take a couple of steps to the middle of the sidewalk._

"_You should be play me a bit more better…", Fernando tells her._

"_Oh hush up!", Juanita says as he grabs tightly arm to arm. "I don't know how you manage not being able to see."_

"_I manage by 'seeing' in other ways.", Fernando tells him as they start walking down towards DeKalb Avenue._

_As they each the corner of the building, Fernando stops them and guides him to face her._

_"Look, if we are going to continue, we cant in this way because you're going to get hurt as me. I'm used to this handicap, not you.", Fernando tells her._

_"You telling me that you want to switch back?", Juanita asks._

_"Yes, we must.", Fernando tells her._

_"OK then…", Juanita says then lets out a sigh._

_Together they concentrate on each other, reaching towards each other on the psychic world, taking each other's hands in the realm and hold on tightly before pulling on each other swiftly towards the other's directions. As like before, they switch, but to their rightful places this time, then they step away from each other in the realm of the mind. On the physical world, they remain holding each other, though Fernando tries to push away at first, finding her not wanting too._

_"Juanita…", Fernando said to her._

_For a moment, she does not answer. "How can you deal with all that?", she finally asks as she slowly separates herself from me._

_"I don't have much of a choice…", Fernando tell her, before taking a step towards the park across the street._

_"Wait…", Juanita says._

_"What for?", Fernando asked._

_"You're going to cross that street, just like that?", she asks._

_"Yes, I do it all the time.", Fernando explained to her._

_"Err…", she started to say as Fernando went to cross the street, pulling her by the arm. It is followed a hard pull against his arm which makes him step back to her. Several seconds later traffic zooms by on the avenue._

_"Why did you do that for?", Fernando asked, almost angered._

_"The cars were coming!", she tries to keep her tone down._

_"ARGH! You Have A Lot To Learn About Me…", Fernando said to her loudly as he turned away and stepped off the curb._

_"But the cars are still coming…", Juanita stated._

_"Don't you think I know that?!!", Fernando almost yelled at her. Then Fernando puts his hand to his forehead and shake his head for a moment, before turning to her, "Look, Juanita. I can hear the cars. I can sense them as they approach and go by." Behind him, Fernando can hear the cars roll to a stop. "Come on…", Fernando then tells her, before going across the street in a semi-hurried paced. Only his cane hitting the curb on the other end, tells him that he have crossed the street._

_He hops over the curb, stepping onto the sidewalk with Juanita behind him, taking a few more steps before lightly hitting upon the park's wall. Juanita steps to him as leaned against the wall._

_"I told you I can do it.", Fernando tells her._

_"Come on.", she says, as she has his hand and pulls him to the park's entrance. They go, past the burnouts and the druggies, up the steps, up the hill and to the tree. Once there, Fernando reaches out to the tree, feeling it for a while to give him some direction on where he was to it. Once he finds his place, Fernando sits on its base, on one of the root bulges that sticks out of the ground that Fernando was familiar with. Juanita takes a seat next to him and leans against him._

_"Fernando?", she calls to him._

_"Yes?", Fernando asked in return._

_"Why you?", she asks._

_"What do you mean?", Fernando asked._

_"Why the connection with you?", she asks._

Juanita snaps out of her trance, noticing that the others were staring back at her. She does not know how to respond but quickly makes up being sick as a perfect excuse to immediately leave the cafeteria.

"I… am… not feeling well…", she says as she drops her fork onto the table. She puts her hands on the table and pushes her self away from the table, needing to take more strength than she had anticipated. Her arms trembling as she pushed said more of her condition than she would have wanted too. She manages to get up, weak in the knees, walking unsteadily back to the dorm facility.

"What is wrong with her this time?", Ferro asks. The others did not seem to care to give an answer. Every step Juanita took to go back to the dorm, the stronger the connection grew. It was like in the beginning, when their thoughts and emotions clashed with one another, and one fought for control and privacy of their world from the other. Just as Juanita is sensing Fernando's reemergence into the psychic world, Fernando can sense her approaching, and of her concern and worry. He does not care. All he cared about was regaining his inhuman abilities that he once had. She picks up a another shared memory from him, one which cemented their relationship to what it is to this day.

_Fernando wakes up around 4pm. There is a heavy weight as if somebody was on him._

_"Hiya lover. About time you woke up.", Juanita says as she lays on him in a 1/2 fetal position on her side, facing me. She in her sweater, yellow blouse and wool wrap around skirt that goes to her knees; past that she has on purple leg-warmers and white sweat sox, though she probably wearing pantyhose under all that since she always does when wearing a skirt. Her snow covered boots were on the floor, besides the other chair, where her coat, scarf, hat and purse were on._

_"How you got in here?", Fernando asks in a groggy tone._

_"The door was unlock.", she said as she pointed at it, "Its locked now. Besides I have a key Cathy gave me in case you forgot."_

_"How long were you here?", Fernando asks further._

_"Almost an hour and 1/2. I'm worried about you, Fernando...", she said._

_"I'll be OK.", as he takes his hand to wipe the sweat off his brow and push it back on his hair._

_"You're shaking, dear.", Juanita says with concern. She takes him by the hand and holds it tightly trying to stop it from trembling. But the vibrations could not be stopped unless from within, for It's from the very core of his being._

_Fernando closes his eyes and concentrate. The trembling subsides into nothingness, he let out a sigh afterwards._

_"I don't like it when you do that.", she comments._

_"I do as I must- you know that.", Fernando explains._

_"I also know that it cost you every time you do it. What will it be this time- a debilitating stroke? Or a coma inducing aneurysm?", she said with loud concern._

_He reaches out with his arms and takes a hold of her in a loving embrace, "Why did you show up here anyway?"_

_"You're the one person who should know why, so don't ask.", she says looking into his eyes, studying them for their colour changes._

_"Then in that case," he started to say, "what's for dinner?"_

_"Since you don't eat normal- I had to get you a large brisket of beef and some veggies for me.", she said_

_"Sounds good, and after that?", Fernando asks._

_"You're going straight to bed.", she said in an over caring tone._

_"And if I don't want too?", Fernando asked playfully, trying to hide the pain. She notices the scent of blood in his breathe, giving him an odd look._

_"Fernando- you're beginning to hemorrhage, aren't you?", she asks._

_"If I am, there's no better place to die than at home with the second person I so secretly loved...", Fernando comments._

_"I'm serious, Fernando. You need to go see a doctor.", She said as she puts her hands on his shoulders to push herself off me._

_"You'll know what they'll do to me when I get there.", Fernando protests quietly, grabbing on to one of her hands on his shoulder as to not let her go._

_She looks into his eyes again to check for their colour. "Bright yellow/red?", she said to herself._

_"Its the endorphins killing the pain, and making me high in the process.", Fernando says softly._

_"How long have you been holding back on your anger?", she asked._

_"Since Corin called this morning.", Fernando answers quietly._

_"And its finally catching up with you. At this rate...", Juanita starts to say._

_"I'm not going to die, not just yet....", as Fernando interrupts her, holding on to her tightly, as to shift his weight on the recliner and force it to reconfigure into its sitting upright position, Fernando then gets up off the chair, carrying Juanita in his arms and take her to the bedroom. Once at the bed, Fernando gently puts her on the bed, and then collapses to the floor. She crawls over to the edge and look down at him._

_"You really need to go to a hospital, Fernando.", she complains._

_"No, I need an understanding friend here with me, at least for the meantime.", as he clutches at the sides of the bed and drag himself up onto it._

_Fernando lays on the bed as she goes over him, checking his ears, eyes, nose and month for the source of bleeding, and finds but only trace amounts of blood everywhere except for his eyes- which were heavily blood shot. She continues on with her nurse routine, checking his vital signs, and taking his clothes off, Fernando does not offer much resistance._

_"Where are you hemorrhaging from?", she asks._

_"All over, mainly deep inside the brain...", he says softly and slowly. "why you taking my clothes off?", he then ask._

_"Its to get you into your bed to sleep, dear.", she said._

_"I don't need sleep...", Fernando said, trying to fight her off on the last remaining shirt button. Since hand/eye coordination are at a lost, as well as other facets of coordinate mobility, he quickly loose this battle with her._

_"You still sleep naked?", she asks._

_"No, not really....", Fernando begin to answers her._

_"Good, then.", as she takes off just his outer clothing and leaves his in his sox, t-shirt and briefs. Quickly, she then covers him in the blanket and comforts him with the pillows. Soon after, she lays down next to him._

_After a while, Fernando asks, "What about dinner?"_

_"Its microwavable take out.", she answers._

_"OK, then.", Fernando say._

_She climbs 1/2 way on top of him to continue looking into his eyes. "They're still bright yellow. If I did not know any better, you're enjoying it.", she said._

_He takes an arm out from under the blanket and holds her. "If you knew the pain I'm going through..."_

_She takes her finger and places it on his lips, "Ssshhh.., I know..."_

_He blinks his eyes, for longer than necessary, before looking back into hers, "I forget that we share that connection."_

_"That's why I worry about you...", she said. She continues to look into his eyes._

_"Too bad we did not get married.", Fernando slowly and softly said._

_"Then what? Get overloaded on Love from an empathic and telepathic endless loop? I don't think I would survive the honeymoon with you...", she says with a smile, "...besides, you and Cathy belong together, as I am here to protect you both."_

_"I don't need protection...", Fernando start to say slowly, though the pain was subsiding, he was catching up with his depleted strength from holding back for so long._

_"Yes you do- from yourself...", she begins to say, interrupting him._

_"Let me finish girl,", Fernando continues, "I don't need protection, but Cathy does."_

_"She does, but she's survived thus far. Its you that I worry about.", she said._

_"Why is that?", Fernando asks, despite his need to pass out and heal for a while._

_"You fight back, Fernando.", she says._

_"And what is wrong with fighting back?'', Fernando asks again._

_She continues to look into his eyes, "Because, love- you have not lost a fight against all the odds you had since High School. But the fight you are having right now, you can lose. And if you lose that fight, I lose a very important friend."_

_He lays there and slowly closes his eyes, "You're not going to lose me."_

_"I know that right now you're so tired that you can pass out any moment now, but you continue to fight on to stay awake.", she said._

_"You should stop being in my head so much.", Fernando said slowly._

_"Something's can't be helped- you know that. From high school- you know that.", she says._

_"Then you know that I'm worried right now....", Fernando says._

_"...and that if you weren't so tired and in pain, you'd hunt down Randal and force him to bring back Cathy home.", as she finishes his words for him._

_"I would if I was still mad...", Fernando says._

_"..and blowing head gaskets. Fernando- I understand what you're going through. I'm scared that this will not end nicely. And that you will go out to get even.", she said, "Look Fernando- At least for now, I just want you to stay calm and cool until this gets a chance to resolve itself, it least- to heal yourself.", she says._

_"And if this resolves itself in the worse possible of way?", Fernando asks._

_"Then you have my blessings to go after all those responsible.", she said..._

She finally makes it to the dorm facility, feeling as if the inside of her head had erupted into flames like a drought ridden California forest fire. She walks to his dorm room, opening the door. He remains silent laying on the bed. He would have been staring at the ceiling if he were not covering his eyes with the inside of the elbow of his arm.

He knows that she is there, but does not move to acknowledge her presence. She continues to enter the room, closing the door behind her before making her way to the bed and sits on it. She leans over him, flicking the hair away from his forehead as she once did to him once on several occasions so long ago.

"Fernando?" she calls to him.

He does not answer for he does not want too at the moment.

"What happened?", Juanita started to say. "Fernando… tell me, what happened so that you came back?"

Fernando slowly takes his arm off his eyes and stares at the ceiling.

"Fernando?", Juanita continues.

"What is it?", he finally answers.

"You're back… why?", Juanita says and asks.

"Back… where?", Fernando asks.

"The connection… we once had. Its restored.", Juanita explains.

"Oh.", Fernando says.

"Why?", Juanita asks.

"Don't know. Don't care. Don't want to be connected.", Fernando says.

"Fernando! What is it that you are saying?", Juanita asks.

"I've always had my telepathic abilities, I never lost them as you may think I have.", he started to explain. "…had them chemically dulled to what was simple in the past required more concentration and focus. I'm tired Juanita. Tired of reading empty minds, seeing false feelings, and sensing lack of respect. Tired of being connected, in having my thoughts and emotions read like some book, and be judged upon by the likes of you every time my dick got hard. I wanted an end to all that and I had it made."

"But…", Juanita tries to hold back the tears. "…but.. why… why get it back… now?"

"I want what I had before. No, not the connection or the sharing, not with you. I wanted the power and ability back. Call me selfish, but no more.", Fernando explains. "As the days are to pass, I will get to my normal level once again. And I want to be left alone. I can sense you standing there before me in that realm we share. I want you to walk away from me when we are there."

"No!", Juanita says.

"Then have it your way.", Fernando tells her. "May you enjoy this slice of hell."

Fernando concentrates hard, placing his hands against Juanita's temples. She grabs him by the wrists and tries to remove them from her head. In the realm, a bright light flashes.

Fernando passes out and flops on the bed. Juanita sits up and fixes herself up before she heads out to the door. She stops at the door and turns to the bed, looking back at Fernando.

"Since you like being in my head so much- you can stay in it for a while… While I recover some peace and quite.", Juanita says to herself. She steps over to Fernando's desk, and takes his Porsche car keys and his American Arms .45ACP. She removes her 1911 .38Super from her small carry bag and leaves it on the desk before walking out the room.

She walks out onto the hall, and travels its long length. Soon she was in the parking lot, getting into Fernando's Porsche 928. After a few adjustments, she turns on the engine, then the iPod Blaupunt Stereo. She puts the 928 into gear and drives away.

- - - -

Notes:

SOS = Student Organized Security, or the individual members there of.

SOSes or SOS'es = a group of members from the Student Organized Security. They tend to patrol the halls of the school in packs of 4 minimum and 12 maximum.


	3. Chapter 3

SWA: Diclonius End Game.

A Gunslinger Girl X Elfen Lied Crossover, by Elfen Magix.

* * *

Gunslinger Girl is © Yu Aida

Elfen Lied is © Lynn Okamotto

Elfen Magix is my online name since 1984 when the first BBSes and Hologate Email relays were online, long before the internet as you know it went online in 1992. It has no connection to Elfen Lied, and no, I did not lied!

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Chapter 3: Elfen Travels

As they pack their things for the trip to hopefully restore Nana's arms and legs in Italy, Mayu walks over to Yuka's room, being a little bold or at least absent minded in entering without knocking. The look on Mayu's face says it all, about how uncomfortable she feels.

"Oh… Mayu. Is something wrong?", Yuka asks.

"Well… Uhm, I don't know how to say it.", Mayu began to say.

"Then just say what is on your mind.", Yuka stated. "We're a family here- you said so yourself, and there is no secrets in a family, or at least this one."

"Uhm… Alright. Why are you grown ups so dirty at times?", Mayu says as fast as she could to get the words out of the way.

"Dirty?", Yuka asks.

"Yes. With Kouta.", Mayu says, almost demanding.

"Uhm… ", Yuka started.

"And with you and Nyu", Mayu added.

"OK. I think I see the problem.", Yuka says.

"I don't like being dirty. I don't like being touched or grabbed like that…", Mayu started to say with tears welling up in her eyes.

Yuka puts down her clothing that she was folding up and takes Mayu by the hands, though Mayu was getting scared at this point.

"Look. No one here has the right to touch you in any way you don't want them to touch you. Especially if it makes you uncomfortable.", Yuka tells her. "If anyone does touches you, you push them away and come see me right away so we can deal with it. I will do what I can to make sure that it wont happen again, even if it means throwing them out."

Yuka puts an arm around Mayu and brings her close to hold her as Mayu cries.

"Something happened to you, which is why you ran away from home. Am I right?", Yuka asks.

Mayu could only nod as she softly cries against Yuka.

"Your mom ever had that talk with you?", Yuka asks.

"What talk?", Mayu says softly, trying to hold back her crying.

"The talk about your body and sex…", Yuka slowly answers.

"Sex is dirty, but I don't understand why you grown ups have to be so dirty…", Mayu says stepping back, giving Yuka a mean look through her tears.

"We need to sit down, and talk.", Yuka replies.

"What is there to talk about? Sex is dirty and disgusting…", Mayu almost shouted out at Yuka.

"It isn't…. Let me explain… please.", Yuka says quietly.

Yuka walks to her desk and pulls out her chair for her to sit on, pointing to the other chair in the room for Mayu to sit in. Mayu looks at the chair and head to it as Yuka explains.

"I do not know what happened to you, I can only guess that it was very bad. But let me start with saying that what two people do show how they love each other is not dirty. Sex, when it is part of that expression, or uhm… display of love is not dirty. And its something we adults do with those we deeply care about.", Yuka tries to explain. Mayu can only sit there in a tight ball, looking down at the floor with her legs up to her chest and arms around her knees.

"Love and Sex is a wonderful thing when it is done together and with the right person. You know that there are differences between men and women- right? It is when a man and a woman want to share those differences because they care about each other, it is not dirty. But you are at an age now where your body is growing, and you have mixed feelings about it. If somebody came along and forced you to do things involving sex, I can see why you are having troubles. You at your age should be exploring within yourself how wonderful it should be, how it can be and with who you want it, not to be scared of it.", Yuka continues. She pauses for a moment to see Mayu's reaction.

For a while, there was no response from Mayu. Then she lets out a soft answer. "It was my new step-father…"

Yuka's jaw dropped for a moment.

"He made me do things, did things to me…", Mayu said slowly as she continued. "I just wanted it to stop…"

"So you ran away.", Yuka says softly.

"Yes!", Mayu says loudly.

"We would never do that to you here. And if Kouta did do that to you, I would kill him.", Yuka stated seriously at Mayu.

"Its not Kouta…", Mayu started to say. "I mean… its you, Nyu, and Kouta- all having sex and stuff."

"Uhm… I'm sorry, Mayu.", Yuka said. "Its not that I'm having sex with Kouta- at least not yet… I mean we are doing things that would lead up to having sex but we have not gotten to where we are having sex out of love yet. And I'm sorry that you have to see that happening. But understand that I Love Kouta very much, from a long time ago- perhaps when you were a baby- that's how long ago it was."

"I love you all for giving me clothing, food and a place to wash and sleep, but I'm afraid that I may have to pay back this debt and it has become a burden.", Mayu says.

"No, you are not a burden. We want you here to be with us. We are a little family… and families help each other… you, me, Nana, Nyu and Kouta. Kouta needs the most help of all of us.", Yuka explains.

"Why?", Mayu asks.

Yuka slowly gets up and steps over to Mayu, bending at her knees to be at her height.

"Remember when I told you that Kouta's sister and father had died?", Yuka began. Mayu nods as Yuka takes her hands. "It was not because one got sick and died or the other killed in a car crash. They were both murdered in front of Kouta. It happened on their train ride home from the festival here. You see… back then, there was a lot of strange murders happening- children and families being slaughtered by somebody the police never caught. And Kouta's family was the last ones to be killed. Because it happened on the train, many believe that the killer left the area for good. It has been years since there was there another murder in this province. But because of that, Kouta would never be the same little boy as I used to love as a little girl. He does not remember what had happened then, not of the train ride, not of the festival, not of him and me at my mother's house or at the beach. Its all a blank to him, and I am being selfish in wanting him to love me like he used too tell me that he did back then. Never mind that he was in a mental hospital for over a year because of what had happened… I just wanted him to love me back as much as I love him…"

Tears starts to form within Yuka's eyes as she bows her head down and covers her face. Mayu slowly gets out of her chair and kneels down in front of Yuka.

"Yuka?", Mayu asked to get her attention.

"Huh?", Yuka

Mayu reaches around Yuka and holds her. "I think we all been through some tragedies."

Yuka tries her best to hold back her tears, though much of them had already flowed out of her eyes.

"You and Kouta have been the best thing to happen to me in a long time.", Mayu started to say.

For a while they hold each other in silence.

"We have to finish packing.", Yuka finally says as she slowly pushes Mayu to separate from her.

In a bar many miles away from Rome…

"This body of her is weak on many levels.", a thought runs through its mind. A hand reaches for a short glass 1/2 filled with an amber liquid, drawing up to its lips. A sip is taken. "It cant even handle alcohol well…" The glass is put down on the bar. Several Euros are put down with the glass placed on top of it. A lone woman in her late 20s of African American descent gets up from the bar stool, walking to the exit. She enters the hotel lobby and goes up the stairs to her room.

The door opens and she steps inside, locking the door behind her. "Unsteady, very unsteady…", a thought races through the mind. "It's the alcohol, but how could she have lasted this long being so weak? Or are normal humans this weak? Shit… its any wonder we evolved to be on top of the evolutionary tree." She starts to take of her clothes folding them neatly on a nearby chair. She then gets into the bed, covering herself with the blankets, and for a moment stares at the ceiling. "At least her eyes are not as sensitive to light like mine." She then places her arm over her eyes, with the fold of her elbow over the bridge of her nose.

"She'll be out for a while.", a thought races through the mind, "but I cant live her life or my life through her body. Nor can I hide from her now that my abilities are back. Like it or not, I have to decide what to do that is best for the both of us."

The body tosses and the blanket drawn over to cover the head.

A 747-400 flies across Asia, then over Asia-Minor and the Mediterranean, making a non-stop flight to Rome. It makes an early morning landing at 4am, more than a 6 hour flight but going with the Time zones, so it arrives before it left. 5 get off together at the terminal to gather their belongings at the carousel. They take a taxi to the Roma Hilton, where they are given a large multi-room suit to share. Though the sun is about to rise for the start of the day, they gather about for a last meal before bed time. Soon they were on their way to slumber land.

In a dreamscape two stand in front of each other, but without the trust and intimacy they once had many years before.

"Why?", the female of the two says as she looks upon the other.

"Why what?", the male returns.

"I thought we were friends, more than friends.", the female continues to say.

"Once upon a time, maybe. It was fun I might have to add.", the male stated.

"Maybe it was. But we were teenagers then. And we're grown up adults now. So, what happened, and why did you do this to me?", she says and asks.

"Do you understand that I wanted to be left alone? You are in my head all the time, reading my thoughts, studying my emotions, judging my actions. I could not have a private moment without you not knowing about it.", he tells her.

"How do you think I felt? You being horny all the time raising my estrogen levels to where I would take any male that crossed my path! Its any wonder that I remained a virgin until my wedding day!", she yells back at him. "You are the powerful of the two of us- your thoughts project outward even though you believe they are not, especially to one as connected to you as I am- I sensed them all the time, and at times- were molded like clay to their whims!"

The male does not answer.

"What can you say? Nothing!", she shouts back at him.

He takes a step back and turns around to walk away. She grabs his arm to bring him back. He spins about, slapping her across the face and pulling back to make her let go. She falls to her knees, holding her face where she was struck.

"Even right now, you are in my head!…", the male started to shout back.

The female looks up at him, yelling, "AND YOU HAVE MY BODY! I WANT IT BACK!"

"You'll get it back, unharmed and unmolested. I promise you that. But until then- you are to remain in bed until my body is fully rested and drug free.", he tells her.

"Drug Free?", she asks. "What do you mean?"

"Just lay there and pretend to be sick for a while. I'll be around to nurture you back to health.", he tells her.

"But… I don't understand…", she says.

"Just do as I tell you and in a week, maybe less, it will be back to normal…", he says. "Until then, you have free but limited reign. You wanted to know what it is like to be me- you will have all that time to find out. Until then, I got things to do, with your body in place of mine."

Before the female could utter a word, the connection is broken.

The woman in the hotel room bed springs up into a sitting position. She shakes her head for a moment and wipes the sweat from her forehead with the blanket. For a moment she looks around, taking in on her surroundings and whereabouts. She lets out a sigh.

"Juanita better do as I told her, if my body is going to be what it used too be.", the woman says to herself.

She gets out of bed and heads to the bathroom to prepare for the day.


	4. Chapter 4

SWA: Diclonius End Game.

A Gunslinger Girl X Elfen Lied Crossover, by Elfen Magix.

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Gunslinger Girl is © Yu Aida

Elfen Lied is © Lynn Okamotto

Elfen Magix is my online name since 1984 when the first BBSes and Hologate Email relays were online, long before the internet as you know it went online in 1992. It has no connection to Elfen Lied, and no, I did not lied!

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Chapter 4: Birth of The Red Queen

If 20-million people living in Tokyo Japan were infected with the Diclonius Vector Virus, then what about the those tourists who were there at the time? Or of the others world wide? They too have become infected, going home carrying not knowing what they had picked up. Even with the vaccine, not everybody was given its cure. But what if in the nearly 20 years ago, the original infection that created Lucy also created several more? Tourists come and go, and many often bring on infections that they had picked up from far away lands.

It can go without saying that because of this reason, Lucy is not the only Diclonius Queen in the world, but the only one in her region. With every birth world wide, it is still a 0.00001% that are born Diclonius; but infected parents still produce Diclonius children. The Russian Federation and certain western parts of the European Union blame the birth of Diclonius on the Chernobyl Accident. In Italy there are a few Diclonius children- less than one can count on the fingers on a single hand and all are unknown to exist in the public's eye.

Yuka wakes up first, and prepares for the day ahead of them. She knows that she has to get adjusted to the time difference and do so quickly. Thus she walks around the main room of the suite and looks over the room service menu. She orders a large Italian omelet with spinach and cheese, along with a few pastries for everyone and drink. She takes a quick shower as the order is being prepared. Mayu, who shares a room with Nana, wakes up next, fixing up her bed and gathers a items to take to the bathroom with her. Yuka was stepping out the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her as Mayu approached the door.

"Oh- you're awake too?", Yuka started to say as she held the towel close to her.

"Good morning…", Mayu said.

"Yes- good morning. I already ordered breakfast for everyone so it should be arriving soon.", Yuka stated.

Mayu just smiled for a moment before saying, "Thank you.", and steps into the bathroom.

Yuka steps into her room she shares with Nyu, and gets dressed. Except for her shoes, she is ready for her day, continuing the tradition of no-shoes in the house. She quickly makes over her bed before stepping out into Kouta's room. Nana wakes up, agitated and nervous from having another bad dream and not knowing how to handle it. Furthermore, Mayu was not there to ease her back into reality. Yuka runs into their room and holds Nan as she cries.

"What's wrong? You had a bad dream or something?", Yuka asks.

Nana tries to calm down, and eventually does. She wipes her tears on the blanket before nodding.

"Everything is OK. It was only a dream, nothing more.", Yuka tells her. Yuka slowly lets her go. "Breakfast will be here soon, so go wash up and dressed. OK?"

"OK…", Nana says.

Yuka quietly leaves the room, and heads to Kouta's room, finding that Nyu had woken up and walking out the door.

"Nana? Nana?", Nyu asks.

"Oh… She had a bad dream, but she's OK now. We all need to wash up and get ready for the day. Breakfast will be ready soon.", Yuka tells her.

"Break- fast?", Nyu asks.

"Food… Its not what we're used too but I think we will like it.", Yuka says.

Yuka takes a couple steps to Kouta's room.

"Kouta sleep?", Nyu asks.

"I will wake him up.", Yuka says. "You go to the bathroom and take a shower, alright?", Yuka says.

"Shower!", Nyu says loudly and runs to the bathroom.

Yuka shakes her head for a second before walking into Kouta's room. She closes the door behind her then walks to his bed. She sits down next to his as he sleeps, brushing the hair from his forehead to the side.

"Kouta, wake up…", she tells him with a slight nudge. He does not respond for the moment. "Oh Kouta, Please wake up. We got a long day ahead of us.", she says with a slightly harder nudge. Kouta wakes up but barely.

"Just another hour of sleep- please…", Kouta says.

"We got a long day, and breakfast will be here soon.", Yuka says.

"Breakfast?", Kouta asks.

"I ordered some room service.", Yuka says.

"But we have little money. Reason why we got this suite is because it would be cheaper to rent it than to rent 5 separate rooms for everyone!", Kouta says.

"Let me deal with the finances, we'll be OK and under budget.", Yuka says.

"Alright… I'll trust you with our money.", Kouta gives in.

Yuka just smiles before hugging him. Kouta, unsure how to respond, slowly raises his arms and holds her back. The door bell rings through out the suite. Yuka pushes Kouta off her and runs out the room.

"That must be room service!", she says as she runs out the room.

Once at the door, she opens it, allowing the waiter to come in with a rolling cart. He heads to the dining area and sets covered serving pots on the table. Another waiter sets up the table, though Yuka protests.

"No-its OK, we can do that!", Yuka protests.

The waiters look at her, but continue to finish preparing the table. They leave when they are done. Yuka sighs for a moment, then looks over the food.

"Its not what we're used too, but I'm sure that the others would like it.", Yuka says. She uncovers the serving bowls, looking at the various foods it contained. She cuts the omelet into servable portions and hands out plates of food to the others. For the time being, they enjoy their morning meal like they once had with meals back in Japan.

They clean up their eating area, stashing the dirty plates in the service tray left behind by the waiting staff. Kouta goes into his room, wanting to be left alone in thought and privacy as he sits on his bed under the covers as if he wanted to go to sleep again. But he does not get his wish, as Mayu enters his room when Yuka and Nyu leave to walk Wanta.

"Kouta, can I have a word with you?", Mayu asks.

"What's on your mind, Mayu?", Kouta asks.

Mayu walk to the bed and sits next to him, on the edge with her feet to the floor. She has to turn her body 1/2 way around to see him.

"I got a lot on my mind, and don't know how to say or deal with them.", Mayu started.

"Start with the beginning.", Kouta says.

"Uhm… Yuka told me of everything that happened to you. Of how you were there when your father and sister were killed in front of you.", Mayu started.

"Then I need to talk to Yuka about that. Its not her business to be spreading such personal information around like that.", Kouta stated, letting a bit of anger and annoyance flow in his tone of voice.

"No… I'm sorry… I mean…. I don't know what I mean…", Mayu started.

"Look. Its not your fault. But, I want you to no share my personal life with anyone else but me. I would not do the same to you.", Kouta explained.

"Kouta. I… I see you as my father.", Mayu said. "And Yuka as my mother… You said it yourself- we are a family, so that must make me your daughter." Kouta can only look at her without saying a word. "I need to know that as my father, to what extent do you love me and do you want me?"

"Love? Uhm… I never thought about that. I'm sorry if I have been cold to you, Mayu.", Kouta started to explain.  
"No, its not that!", Mayu almost yelled.

"Then what is it?", Kouta asks.

Mayu bites on her lower lip, trying to hold back her tears. Then she lets her feelings known abruptly.

"WOULD YOU EVER FORCE ME TO HAVE SEX WITH YOU?!!", Mayu shouts out as she tears open her robe showing what little she had on underneath. Kouta could only look at her for a moment before turning away.

"No.", Kouta said. "As your father, I am not supposed to do that to you."

Mayu begins to cry. Kouta slowly turns around to see her crying, then reaches out to hold her against him. She resists at first but then slowly leans against him and keeps crying.

"There, there…", Kouta started to say. "I have not been the best father in the world, but I do care about you and the others. I just got a lot to learn in being a father to you. Lord knows that I have failed in protecting you guys in the past in Japan."

Mayu pushes off him and looks at him for the moment. "You did everything you could, almost dying in protecting us. Though you are not superman, you did your best. But Kouta, I know we are not related but I'm thankful for you being there for me.", Mayu says.

Kouta sighs before speaking. "Is there something bothering you?", he asks.

"Kouta, I need to tell you a few things.", Mayu began. "Remember when you and Yuka returned from searching Nyu, and found the house a mess, and that guy with the glasses taking Nyu away?"

"The night I was shot, yes.", Kouta answers with a question.

"Well, it was not him caused the damage. He was somebody who I called for help, because somebody else busted into the house and did things to Nana and me. Nana tried to fight him off, but she was defeated, and I got too scared to fight.", Mayu explained as her tears flowed.

"Look- I forgave you for that a long time ago. A house can be rebuilt, a life cant, Mayu.", Kouta replied. "But you should have told me that somebody else was involved an caused all that damage beforehand instead of me blaming it on somebody else. So, what happened?"

"Some bounty hunter was looking for Lucy/Nyu… but found us in the house instead, and he tried to kill Nana and then tried to rape me.", Mayu answered before crying. "Why must men such pigs?!!"

"I'm sorry Mayu. If I was there, I could have done something to stop that.", Kouta explained. "But to answer your question, it is something that I can not answer personally. You see, there are some men who are of such vile and filth that they let their impulses takeover them and dish out evil deeds like Yuka does with our meals. They have no hearts, respect or contempt for others, and see people like you as an easy target for their whims. But I am not like that. I just don't know why though."

"You are a wonderful man and great father. Nothing like my last step father was.", Mayu says softly as she leans against him.

"Your step father?", Kouta asks.

"Yes..", Mayu answered.

"Your mother made no mention of a husband or step father when she gave us your papers.", Kouta replies.

"He would make me take off my clothes and do things to me.", Mayu says as the tears fell harder.

"He raped you?", Kouta asks.

"Yes, often. Almost every night mother went to work…", Mayu answered.

"And that's why you ran away?", Kouta asks.

Mayu could only sheepishly nod.

Kouta pushes her off and takes the edges of her open robe, closing it, then ties the robe belt together. Mayu can only blush in embarrassment and sadness. She reaches down to the belt of the robe and unties it, then throws back her robe open again. Kouta reaches to closes her robe again, but she grabs him by the wrist, and stares into his eyes.

"I need to know… if I can trust you with my body, see if you would rape me like the others have or not… I'm sorry… I just don't know why I'm doing this!", Mayu says as she cries.

Kouta relaxes his arms, putting them down at their sides. He closes his eyes and turns his face away from her.

"You are much like my little sister, and I will treat you as such. I don't care how naked you are in front of me, or of wanting sex with me, Mayu. I do care for you, but I would do my best not to hurt you…", Kouta answers. "But Mayu…"

"Yes Kouta?", Mayu asks.

"Don't temp me or force me into a situation where we could have sex.", Kouta tells her. "I don't want to fail you as a father, but I also don't want to be tempted as a man either."

"Don't you find me attractive?", Mayu asks.

"I don't find anyone attractive. I either love them or I don't. I love Yuka, and Nyu, and then you and Nana. But I am a man, Mayu, and am driven by those same impulses and drives like any other. But I'm supposed to in control of those impulses as well, because I'm not an animal. Any man who allows himself to be taken over by his impulses is not a man but an animal. Understand that, because if I allowed myself to be taken over by my impulses, I would have raped you just now for you tempting me and a long time ago because you were available and conveniently there.", Kouta answers.

They did not hear their hotel suite room door open as Yuka, Nyu and Nana returns from Wonta's walk. They find it odd that the suite would be found empty, and check on Kouta's room, finding a near naked Mayu under her open robe Mayu with Kouta in the same bed together. Neither Nyu or Nana does not know that to think of what was going on, but Yuka runs to the bed, yanking Mayu off it, and slapping the crap out of Kouta's face.

"KOUTA!!!", Yuka yells at him. "HOW DARE YOU!!!"

"Yuka!", Mayu started to try to end the fighting.

"NO! KOUTA- YOU GET YOUR THINGS AND GET OUT OF HERE! GO BACK TO JAPAN, YOU PERVERT!", Yuka yells at him.

"YUKA!", Mayu yells back at her.

"STAY OUT OF IT, MAYU! I'M HERE TO PROTECT YOU FROM THIS PERVERTED SEX CREEP!", Yuka yells back before giving Kouta a right hook to his jaw that sends him off the bed. Yuka gets on the bed to go after him, but is stopped by Mayu grabbing her arm.

"STOP IT! ITS NOT HIS FAULT!!!", Mayu said.

"NOT HIS FAULT?!!", Yuka yells back. "DON'T FALL FOR THOSE TRAPS MEN PUT UP TO GET TO YOUR PRECIOUS PRIVATE PARTS!"

"NO! STOP IT! IT WAS I WHO TRIED TO TEMPT HIM AND HE REFUSED!", Mayu yells in return.

"THAT'S SO WRONG!… What? You tried to tempt him?", Yuka started to yell but suddenly calms down.

"Yes…", as Mayu started to cry. "I wanted to know if I could trust Kouta or if he was just like any other man out there… nothing happened, and I can now trust him!"

Yuka kneels on the bed, looking at Mayu.

"Please… I'm sorry!", Mayu pleaded.

Yuka slowly turns to Kouta. "I'm sorry… Kouta."

Kouta just lays on the floor holding into his jaw, trying to shake off the blow to the face he had just gotten from Yuka. Then he sits up into a ball. "Everybody, get out.", he tells them.

"Huh?", Yuka started. "I said I was sorry."

"I want you to leave, and leave me alone.", Kouta said.

"But…", Yuka insisted.

"LEAVE!", Kouta yells back.

Yuka stays there stunned looking over him as she knelt on is bed. A few seconds passes as she recomposes herself and leaves the room, taking Mayu with her. A minute passes before Kouta gets up off the floor and locks his door. He then quietly gets dressed and packs his bag. He checks for his passport and airline ticket to return home.

A million images and words come crashing in like waves against the shore but does so slowly. It registers in the mind like a heavy static buzz of an unavailable TV Station selected on a blank channel. It takes either a lot of concentration or a loud signal to latch onto a mind and how on to it, then read it of its ever changing content. As Fernando in his body, he was more sensitive as a telepath. In Juanita's body, things took a bit more energy and concentration to get things done. But she was still as sensitive as he was when it came to loud signals. Passing by a hospital or ambulance and sensing the death screams of those who met a violent demise and refuse to die in emergency care is a simple test.

As the Porsche races back to Rome, it passes by a horrific traffic accident, and the brain inside Juanita's body becomes receptive to the mental screams of pain and anguish, forming a headache deep inside the skull. It takes a lot of concentration to ignore it, making for white knuckle driving for a few fleeting moments. The pain goes away as the mental screams fades into the distance.

'At least she still has that ability with others. But damn it, where is the volume control?!' Fernando thinks to himself.

Another 1/2 hour of driving puts the Porsche entering the Roman City Limits. Unfortunately, it takes another 45 minutes to get to midtown Rome and its shopping centers. She spends a long time at the drug store, carefully looking over various medications.

(Translated from Italian) "Need any help, Miss?", a stock clerk asks as he puts down a box of medication to put on the shelves.

"I'm, uhm… need something that does not have Acetaminophen in it.", she answers.

"What for?", the stock clerk asks.

"Headaches and overall other things. My husband, he's allergic to Tylenol.", she answers.

"Oh, I see. Hmmm…", the stock clerk begins to thinks. "I suppose he wants the strongest stuff available."

"Yes, if you have something that wont require a prescription. We are just here for a couple of days.", she states.

The stock clerk takes a few steps past her and goes over the labels quickly. He then reaches into the shelf and pulls out a box of aspirin with Codeine. "This should help your husband greatly.", the stock clerk said, "But don't over do it. And always read the packaging information or its inside pamphlet which has a section written in English."

"Thank you…", she says as she takes the box of pills with her. She takes couple of other items off the shelf before taking them to the counter.

In a high school not far away, a girl walks alone in the halls, not sure on how to deal with the pressures of everyday life. Though she is slighter better in shape and appearance than most girls in her 11th grade class, she is constantly harassed and bullied by others because she does not fit in to the various cliques and groups. She keeps her knit cap low just above her eyebrows, covering her bright violet red hair, and the slight protrusions just above her temples that sticks out of her hair. Not even her name seems to fit the usual Italian structure she lives in. Being a transfer student does not help her in the slightest bit.

"Kieya! Kieya! Wait!", a female voice yells through the halls, getting louder as if it was approaching her, for it was. A hand grabs the girl by the arm, making her stop in her tracks. The girl calling her steps in front of her, "Kieya, they were only fooling."

"Then why must they always pick on me?", Kieya asks, holding back her emotions.

"Its because you make yourself an easy target, Kie… you don't laugh, you don't play… the things you say- they are scary! Everyone thinks you're bluffing, or at least lying!", the girl continues.

"I don't bluff. And I don't lie!", Kieya tells her.

"Then prove it…" the girl tells her.

The class bell rings, and the halls suddenly fills up with teens going to their next class. A few from their class gather behind them.

"I wont.", Kieya says, trying to step around the girl. She manages to take a couple steps away from the girl.

One of the boys from the soccer team pushes Kieya from behind, making her fall to the floor. Some of the teens laugh but most stand stunned in silence.

"Hey! Rosita was talking to you! You should at least respect her request for communications, you conceited bitch!", the boy in the soccer uniform yells and points at her. More laughter fills the silence of the halls, but from the same people who laughed before, while the rest stayed stunned.

"I promised that I would be a good girl. That I would never lash out anger at anyone ever again…", Kieya says to herself. The boy in the soccer uniform steps up to her.

"What was that bitch?", he yells at her. "No One Ever Talks Back To JD!" He follows with a soccer kick to her face, thought lightly he intended it to be, it was still hard enough to be felt and knock her down again.

"GET UP BITCH!", JD yells at Kieya. "GET UP SO I CAN KICK YOU AGAIN!"

"THAT WAS UNCALLED FOR, JD!", Rosita yells at him.

"YOU BACKING UP THAT BITCH?", JD argues with her.

_'Nobody likes you to be anywhere…'_, a voice says that only Kieya could hear. _'How many homes are you going to move from? How many schools are you going to transfer to? What have you done to them for them to attack you? You cant hold back any longer, no matter what father used to tell you, in the least you have a right to defend yourself!'_

"But people are going to get hurt and die if I do!", Kieya says to herself. It was loud enough to be heard by those around her, including JD and Rosita.

"YOU'RE GONNA HURT NO ONE!", JD yells at Kieya before giving her a harder kick to the side of her ribs.

"JD! GET INTO THE CLASSROOM NOW!", a teacher's voice can be heard yelling at him.

Before JD could answer, he suddenly rises up into the air and his legs are ripped off at mid thigh, and then his arms just below the shoulder. He screams in ungodly agony as he floats in mid air, spraying blood from his ripped off appendages. Then the wall displays and bulletin boards are ripped off the walls and thrown about. The teens and teachers who gathered about the area run for safety. Kieya gets up off the floor and steps up to JD as he remains floating.

"Want to try to kick me now?", Kieya sneers at him. "You think you are all grand and powerful, that being the #1 soccer team player actually means something… lets see you play soccer from inside a box buried 2 meter into the ground…"

JD's head pops off from his neck and shoulders and both the head and body are dropped onto the floor. Kieya stares at the carnage she had created out of anger. She suddenly calms down, gets nervous and looks around, finding the halls empty. She takes her book bag and runs away.

The psychic death scream was silent compared to the voice inside Kieya's head, telling her to fight back and kill anyone who got in her way. It was felt by all those sensitive to those frequencies: Nana, Nyu/Lucy and others like them. It was also felt by Fernando and Juanita.

Juanita sits in the driver's seat of the Porsche, clutching at her temples on the side of her head in serious pain, bent over to have her forehead against the steering wheel. Then the pain goes away, leaving just the static of a millions minds around her. She slowly sits up and shakes off the lasting affects of the headache.

"What the fuck was that?!!", Fernando says in her mind. She looks about for a moment, panting for air, then rechecks the car's cockpit, finding the key in the ignition, and a bag of pharmaceuticals in the passenger seat.

"Uhg?!!", Nana yells out, holding the sides of her head just below her horns.

"Are you alright Nana?", Mayu asks as she checks her out.

"Uhm… I don't know.", Nana says. Then she looks at Nyu who was just near her. "How is that possible… unless."

"What Nana?", Mayu asks.

"Its nothing.", Nana said.

Kouta steps out of his room, carrying his suit case with him. At first no one notices him as they were preoccupied with Nana. But in seeing him walking with his suit case, the girls run to him, grabbing on the arm carrying the luggage.

"Kouta, where are you going?", Yuka started to ask.

"I'm going home.", Kouta answers.

"No, you cant.", Yuka tells him.

"Why not?", he asks.

"Because we need you!", Yuka answers.

"You need me? Some pervert, who lives in a house full of girls who constantly temps him into doing something to them…?", Kouta answers.

"I'm sorry!", Mayu says loudly, "I did not mean to do that!"

"Yeah, right…", Kouta says to himself.

"If you leave, you're not leaving with your suitcase!", Yuka says as she pries the luggage handle from his grasp. She manages to wrench the suitcase away from him, though it flies out of her hand and against a wall, opening and spilling its contents to the floor.

"Then, fine. I will leave without my belongings.", Kouta says as he turns away and walks top the door. Though the others want to stop him, they don't. He walks out the door and continues going.


	5. Chapter 5

SWA: Diclonius End Game.

A Gunslinger Girl X Elfen Lied Crossover, by Elfen Magix.

* * *

Gunslinger Girl is © Yu Aida

Elfen Lied is © Lynn Okamotto

Elfen Magix is my online name since 1984 when the first BBSes and Hologate Email relays were online, long before the internet as you know it went online in 1992. It has no connection to Elfen Lied, and no, I did not lied!

* * *

Chapter 5: Details of the Wretched.

To save others, Fernando has lost his humanity. But the price he's paid, has purchased him the eternal hell called regret. This illness is not fatal, and yet it causes sickness unto death. Thus the memories remain, like a stained cloth that wont come off no matter how many times it is washed.

_On a beach, one the far southern side of Riis Park, where it used to be known as a nude beach but is now abandoned and long since empty, a group of friends hang out for the day, airing out their differences… If it were not for this in-fighting, they would be enjoying the day swimming, eating and partying, as most were dressed to do. Fernando had his Life Guard ID card with him, in case any would be authority would try to throw them out of the area for the lack of water safety personnel. _

"_He has plenty to prove to me.", Raul stated to himself._

"_Ever the Doubting-Thomas, aren't you.", Fernando tells him._

"_All this shit about powers and abilities, and mumbo-jumbo witchcraft, I swear. Everything you have done can be explained in one way or another, most of it through some form of technological trickery.", Raul stated._

"_Then explain the others. John, with medical proof of having a iron in his skeletal system, as with me having silver in my bones too and in my nerves. Kevin with his super strength and agility that belies his size. Or Denise and Juanita having some sort of empathic ability on sensing how others around them feel? You know Raul, just because you may not believe in the supernatural or in abilities beyond what normal people may have does not mean that they do not exist. Nobody is that lucky…", Fernando tells him._

"_I worked hard to get my skills and abilities…", he started to say._

"_I'm not denying that you have.", Fernando tells him._

"_You still have to prove a lot to me.", Raul says._

_Fernando adjusts himself against the side of the abandoned lifeguard chair, pretending to stretch and let out a yawn, while trying to concentrate onto Raul's brain frequencies and pattern. _

"_Fernando- don't!", Juanita says out loud._

"_Don't… what?", Fernando ask as he turns to her._

"_You know what you were trying to do…", she stated._

"_Juanita, I swear…", Fernando said to himself._

"_Well, you know better to try that with me around.", Juanita stated._

"_And if I did, you would not be able to stop me.", Fernando tells her._

"_You sure about that?", Juanita asked, almost challenging._

_Fernando stared at her, focusing in onto her mind, seeing that she had prepared herself in defense of an onslaught of psionic energy which may overwhelm her. But for every defense, there is a weakness, and in hers to be in the same frequencies and patterns as his, as he can easily override those defenses with just a simple thought._

_In her mind, she stands there defiant as Fernando stand in front of the fortress walls of her mind. With his mental hand, Fernando place it upon the wall and phases right through it, reaching within and pulling her out by her neck. Fernando stood her in front of him, "Yes I'm sure.", Fernando tell her inside her mind. She does not answer. Reaching out within the universe of the minds, Fernando latch onto Raul's brain frequencies and patterns, not to become one with them but to supercede them inside Raul's own head._

_Fernando sits back against the lifeguard chair as he slowly gain control of Raul's motor cortex after a bit of a fight with his conscious, which had to be turned off for the moment. Raul gets up and turns to walk to where the waves breaks against the sands, stopping there momentarily._

_Juanita reaches over and grabs Fernando by the shoulder and pushes hard against him. Fernando's concentration upon Raul breaks as he shift his attention from Raul to Juanita. Fernando just stare at her before turning to Raul to see what he was doing there. Raul continued to stand there at the breaks of the waves against the sands of the beach upon his ankles._

"_Now you go get him.", Fernando tells her angrily._

"_You have no right in doing that.", Juanita says to him._

"_I can do anything that is needed at the time, and that asshole needed a learn a lesson.", Fernando tells her._

"_A lesson on what? That we are more powerful than he is? That we should be in control, to lead, to rule?!!", Juanita argues._

"_He needs to learn that there are certain forces exist whether or not he wants to believe in them.", Fernando argues. _

_Denise makes her way towards them as they quietly argue between themselves, on all 4s. "That was not nice Fernando.", she says._

"_Not you too.", Fernando tells her._

"_No, I'm just saying that that was not nice. It may have been necessary, but it should have been left between the two of you, someplace else, alone.", Denise stated._

"_It should not have been done in the first place.", Juanita stated._

"_Tell me why.", Fernando tells her._

"_Its goes against morals.", Juanita stated._

"_Who's morals.", Fernando tells her._

"_The Book of Spells says it does.", The other Juanita says. We all turn to face her. "Well, it does.", she continues, "It says, 'One who deals with white magic must never use them for gains or personal motives.' "_

"_I don't delve in 'White Magic.' ", Fernando tells her._

"_Not from where I see it.", the other Juanita says._

"_I said- I don't deal in White Magic…", Fernando tells her sternly._

"_If you don't deal in White Magic, then you must deal… in… Black… Magic…", she started to say, but hesitating as she reached her conclusion._

"_I don't deal in Black Magic either.", Fernando tells her._

_She stays where she was seated, staring at him as if she caught him in some lie. Fernando turns back to face Raul who was still at the edge where the ocean and sands meets._

"_Somebody go slap in the idiot on back of his neck and wake him up…", Fernando tells everyone, but without looking at them._

_Kevin and John head out to see if Raul was OK._

"_If you don't delve in the mystic arts, then explain why you have a protective aura around you.", The other Juanita demands._

"_It was placed there by somebody else.", Fernando tells her._

"_Who.", the other Juanita demanded._

"_My grandmother.", Fernando tells her._

"_What about her?, as she points to Rachel._

"_I did.", Fernando tells her._

"_Now, you say that you don't deal with magic, but yet you put a protective spell on her. If that is not a lie, I don't know what is.", Juanita explains sternly._

_Fernando puts his hands together and close his eyes with a sigh. Between his hands, a light begins to shine. As Fernando opens them, a ball of light hovers between them. Putting it into his right hand, Fernando gives it a slight spin and balance it on his finger. "You know what this is… right?", Fernando tells her._

_All but the other Juanita and Denise stare at it in awe._

"_Yes, I know...", she says._

"_Then shut up.", Fernando interrupted her._

"_But…", she started to say._

"_I said for you to shut up.", Fernando tells her._

"_You cant make me shut up.", the other Juanita stated defiantly._

"_Since you're such a good student of the mystic arts, then you should know better as a woman not to cross the path of a man, especially who is more powerful than you.", Fernando warns her._

"_Like what are you going to do to me?", The other Juanita stated._

"_I don't need to do anything. But like I said… know your place- woman.", Fernando tells her sternly._

"_This is the 20th Century America, I can do and say anything I want.", the other Juanita stated as if trying to prove some stupid point._

_Fernando closes his hand into a fist, reclaiming the ball of energy into it with his eyes closed and a sigh. Around them, the winds being to gust up in a circular pattern, churning up a bit of sand. "I really do not need to prove anything to anyone, Juanita. Just don't challenge me, for you might find out that I am too much to handle.", Fernando tells her as he stares at her. Slowly the winds die down._

The memory fades to black.

"Its not easy being me, now is it, Juanita?", as she looked upon Fernando's face. "The memories, the sensitivity levels of the senses, the psychic wave reception being a bit loud. But seriously, you wanted to be me to learn what I am and why I am even though the connection we share would have given you a lot more than anyone would have ever wanted."

She takes a wash cloth and wipes his forehead with it.

"Yeah, the fevers are a killer, aren't they. But this body can survive a hit of over 108F, and averages at 105F. Just enjoy the hallucinations for a while.", as she gives him a tablespoon of crushed and dissolved aspirin in water. "This should make the fever a bit more bearable."

The bitter and chalky liquid is taken and swallowed.

"Just to let you know, I have been a good girl, and have not slept with any men.", she tells him. "In fact, I don't know how you can do it. The whole idea repulses me."

"You're a man in my body.", he tells her in a hoarse like whisper. "Just like I'm a woman in your body…"

"That maybe true. But most importantly. Did you felt that psychic wave about an hour ago?", she asks him.

"Yes.", he answers. "What was it?"

"I don't know. But, its best that you lay low and heal up for me while I go out to investigate.", she tells, him.

"Just don't get me maimed or killed.", he says.

"I wont… I too would like my own body back.", she tells him.

He just sighs.

"I'm not as strong as you are, so don't be pulling any hair brain stunts with my body either.", he tells her.

"I'll do what I can in order to not harm your body. But just in case…", she started to say.

"There Will Be No JUST IN CASE!", he almost yells at her.

"Relax… Will ya!", she almost demands, "You want to pop a head gasket or something? Those drugs I have taken took a toll on some of my systems, so be careful! I don't want you to stroke on me!"

"And what about when we switch back? Are you going to stroke on me?", he asks.

"No. I know the limits of my body. You don't. For you its easy to run up the levels to beyond what those limits are without knowing. Me on the other hand know what is where in those levels and can back down when I need too.", she explains.

"And what about you in my body? You know limits of it?", he asks.

"I'm just pushing the minimum with it. No heavy lifting. No over exerting myself.", she explains. "Besides, its hard to lift up and throw a Smart car in these wrap around skirts you wear. Why do you have so many of them?"

"Don't try to make me laugh. It hurts you know.", he tells her.

"That is the price I pay, Juanita.", she started to explain. "Having an over-sensitive nervous system can make the tiniest of pleasures into outright pain. It is something I had gotten used too in my very early years…"

"Look, you come back so we can switch again, and we will go take care of what ever that was.", he tells her.

"I don't think we can. We are both not powerful on our own to deal with such a beast on such a level.", she replies.

"No. But if you fought Satan himself to get back the soul of one of us that was stupid enough to make such a deal with him, you can take on anything. I'll be right there to help…", he answers.

"If it were only that easy…", she tries to explains.

"Forgive me father, for I have sinned. I think I may have killed somebody.", a voice says inside a patron's side of a confessional box.

"Think? My dear girl, you either did or you did not. Now explain to me what happened.", an elder male voice says from the priest's side of the confessional.

"I thought of killing somebody, and how to do it, and it happened. Just how I thought it would. In front of many witnesses.", the girl explained.

"Who was this person you killed?", the priest asks.

"A boy. He was a bully who picked on me. I just had enough…", the girl started to explain.

"And how did you killed him?", the priest asks.

"In my mind I envisioned him to float up in mid air before having this arms and legs ripped off…", she explains.

"So you hung him with a rope or cord?", the priest asks.

"No, just float on air, holding him there with an invisible hand in place while cutting off his arms and legs…", she continues.

"It is a sin to lie, Especially to a priest in a confessional.", the priest interrupts her.

"But I am not lying.", she tells him. "I thought of it and it happened!"

"Such things are not possible without technology or witch craft…", the priest says sternly.

_'Why are you even here? This asshole does not believe you!'_, the voice in the girl's head says. _'You should kill him as proof of your ability and of what has given you over him…'_

"That would not be fair!", the girl says out loud. "Why Should I Kill A Priest?!! He Has Done Nothing To Me!"

"What was that?", the priest shouts back, but she was not listening to him, only to the voice inside her head.

_'Now he has heard you and will call the police on you and have you arrested. Want to rot in jail? I wont allow that to happen!'_, the voice says to her in her mind.

Around them the confessional box splinters into little pieces and fly around them until there was nothing in between them as a barrier and all privacy is gone. The girl takes off her knit wool cap, for the first time in public in many years outside of her home. The priest looks at the girl, seeing the horns on the side of her head, gives a sign of the cross and starts to pray the 'Hail Mary' Prayer as fast as he could whisper it. It is followed by the 'Our Father' Prayer. Then by his head sliding off his neck as at angle as if something like a laser beam had neatly sliced it across.

The girl looks about for a moment, then runs of the ruins of the confessional box and out of the church.

The girls sit about the dining table for a moment as they wait for their prince to return. They worry about him, hoping that he has not gotten on the plane home to Japan without his things. But after an hour, they worry about their other plans.

"You should wash up before we go to your preliminary exam, Nana.", Yuka tells her.

Nana could only give her a blank stare for the moment. Mayu takes her by the arm and pulls on it gently. "Come on. You need to be as fresh as possible for the doctors to look at you. You want to present to them a clean and healthy body, right?"

"Uhm…", Nana started to say. "I…" Before she could answer, she gets up and follows Mayu to the bathroom. Yuka turns to follow them out the room and then back to Nyu.

"I want you to stay here and wait for Kouta to return while we are gone. Can you handle that?", Yuka asks.

"Yes!", Nyu says.

"Good. Do what ever it takes to keep him here, but do try to keep your clothes on while doing it, and don't do anything freaky… please?", Yuka pleads.

"Yes!", Nyu answers.

Yuka could only smile for the moment, before retiring to her room.

- - - -

Notes:

Riis Park = A small park on an inlet of South East Brooklyn's Jamaica Bay. The land was once owned by the entrepreneur, humanitarian and philanthropist Jacob Riis in the late 1800s. Part of this land is a Naval Base, and during WW1 was an airport for water landing planes. After the 1930s, the airport was shut down.

Riis Beach = A beach of the Eastern side of Riis Park where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. In the past it used to have a nude beach where the Naval Base used to land its planes almost a century before.


	6. Chapter 6

SWA: Diclonius End Game.

A Gunslinger Girl X Elfen Lied Crossover, by Elfen Magix.

* * *

Gunslinger Girl is © Yu Aida

Elfen Lied is © Lynn Okamotto

Elfen Magix is my online name since 1984 when the first BBSes and Hologate Email relays were online, long before the internet as you know it went online in 1992. It has no connection to Elfen Lied, and no, I did not lied!

* * *

Chapter 6: Falling Into Place.

One does not have to be Diclonius to be telekinetic or telepathic. Mankind has been evolving splintered off-shoots since he first set up upon the floor of the planet itself some 200,000 years ago. Its part of nature to evolve, but into what remains to be seen if one survives long enough to reproduce. Fernando's abilities come from inbreeding of the Spanish Royal House in order to create the perfect fighting knight with super strength and speed to protect the castle some 500 years before. Thus he, like the generations before him on the male branch of this family has lived with these abilities and extras like super-sensitive senses like hearing and smell; telekinesis and telepathy. Other things have also been added due to the inbreeding part: a 6th finger and a vestigial tail of a few inches in length. Though he does seem to have these abilities, Fernando does not have the 6th finger nor the tail like his father did, but he is a gene carrier of these traits. Thus he is cautious as to who he dates and one-time married as he does not want his child to become like his father was.

Juanita's mental gifts of her birth-right were quirks of her genes. No one in her family had such powers or abilities, except for a distant in Aunt in New Orleans who was a famous fortune teller, who used her telepathy to gain wealth and knowledge. But being able to read into men's minds kept her from ever marrying or having children, as she saw what men exactly wanted from her.

How they connected to this day remains a mystery. It was as if as god had placed them together to be together for one another, thought it would never work out for the best of them. They act more like brother and sister than friends and lovers. Even in their most intimate of moments, they are scared of going all the way with how they feel for each other. They most love starved kisses end up with a break away that is sudden and full of shame, as of brother and sister had done something they should not have been doing. For they know each other too well, and these feelings for them are just because they live together in a shared mind. Nothing between them is private, not their memories, thoughts or dirty little feelings they may have- the other will know about it. This is how it was before Fernando started to take on his medications to dull his mental abilities. This is how it will be now that he is off it and his body is cleansed from the mental poisons that once flooded his system.

As teleknetics, only Fernando showed any promise on that ability, but only in the extreme stress, pressure, emotion or pain had pushed him to switch on those abilities and when they are switched on, they are a very destructive force to deal with. Most of the time they go on their own, trashing and breaking things in their way. Control for them is almost non-existent. He can not access them when calm and relax or in any stated below the extreme, and he does not know why either. However, both he and Juanita can sense the room around them, as if they could telekinetically feel the space around them but not alter what is there. When he was blinded from his accident, this was how he got around. Even today when his eyes fail him from being in too much light, he can still sense the world around him with a bit of concentration to surpass the drug's effects. But soon there will be no drug side effects to get in the way of his abilities.

As Fernando in Juanita's body walks to her room on the floor above, she is met with Ferro, Hillshire and Jose who were waiting for her at her door.

"About time you arrived.", Ferro tells her. "We were about to send a search party for you."

"I was getting a few things for Fernando's weaken state.", Fernando says.

"Is he improving?", Ferro asks.

"Not by much.", Fernando says as she opens the door to the room. They walk inside.

"Well, we have a case. Maybe you and he can help with it.", Ferro states.

"What kind of case?", Fernando asks.

"There's a slasher terrorist in town… and a possible missing girl related to the case.", Ferro stated.

"Isn't that kind of case for, uhm, lets say, the police?", Fernando asks.

"We thought so too, but they sent us this tele-com file on some the evidence. Apparently an explosive was used in one of the killings, which left no residue or burn marks.", Hillshire explained. "They admit that they are out of their league as far as deciphering clues are concerned."

"And you want us to…", Fernando started to say.

"You got the idea.", Ferro says.

"Fernando is out of commission until he gets well.", Fernando says.

"So why is he not in the medical ward?", Ferro asks.

"Are you joking? He trusts those bastards there as much as he trusts… yo… u.", Fernando says, trying to stop saying what was said.

"You maybe close to him, and may have known him for much longer, but I have been on missions with him, and I know he can trust me.", Ferro says, holding back her anger.

"Well, he's sick. And with his abnormal body chemistry and allergies to certain drugs, I will take care of him.", Fernando says, "Besides, he'll be alright in 24 to 48 hours, if not sooner."

"Good.", Ferro began. "You three take your girls with you to the church and the school for interviews. Juanita- take Francesca. She is to work under you until Fernando is on his feet again."

"Will do.", Fernando answered. "Now if you people don't mind. I need to change. I'll see you all in the parking lot in about 1/2 an hour."

"1/2 an hour? Sounds good to me.", Jose stated before leaving the room.

"See you then.", Hillshire says before walking out the door behind Jose.

Fernando takes the room's phone and starts making a call.

"Who are you calling?", Ferro asks.

"Francesca. Who else would I call?", Fernando stated. "She need to be told of her orders, and be prepared in 1/2 an hour." Fernando gives the phone to Ferro as it rings the phone on the other end of the line. Eventually there was an answer.

"Hello?", a voice answers.

"Francesca?", Ferro asks.

"Yes?", Francesca answers with a question.

"This is Ferro. There is a case for you to work on. Juanita will be your field operative supervisor for this mission.", Ferro explains.

"What about Fernando?", Francesca asks.

"He is not feeling well enough to start the mission, but he will join you when he is better.", Ferro explains.

"Oh.", Francesca replies.

"You have a 1/2 hour to wash up, get dressed and meet everyone on this case in the parking lot. Juanita will explain the details to you. You are to provide tactical and logistical assistance.", Ferro explain.

"Logistical?", Francesca asks.

"Just do those things you do to help Fernando on cases, but for Juanita in his absence.", Ferro explains in detail.

"Alright.", Francesca says.

"Remember- be ready and in the parking lot in 1/2 an hour.", Ferro says.

"OK, I'll try…", Francesca answers.

Ferro hangs up the phone.

"Now you done it…", Fernando said.

"Done what?", Ferro asks.

"Francesca cant dress herself on her own. She does know how to put things on, but she will spend the next three hours looking at her closet wondering what to put on!", Fernando explains. "I think you better help her decide. There is a nice navy blue business suit with a knee-high skirt Fernando bought her on the last mission. Have her put that on, and her bullet resistant t-shirt under the blouse."

Ferro can only nod before leaving the room. Fernando closes and locks Juanita's door, and then looks about the room. She then starts to undress as she walks to the bathroom.

Fernando takes a long hot shower, in the midst of it leans her head against the wall, letting the water go down her neck, back and shoulders. She concentrates a bit, trying to establish communications with Juanita in Fernando's room and body. She finally gets a connection as the both of them stand in front of each other in that realm they share. They do not hold hands as they once did so long ago when in this realm.

_"You manage to get all that?", Fernando tells her._

_"Yes.", Juanita answers. "Don't get into any gun fights, or do anything that would hurt my body."_

_"I'll try my best.", Fernando tells her._

_"Why are you not holding my hands like we used too?", Juanita asks._

_"I don't feel comfortable with doing that.", Fernando tells her._

_"Why not?", she asks._

_"Because we share too much, and I just do not want to share anymore.", he tells her._

_"Why not?", she asks._

_"How can I explain it?", he started to say._

_"Say it anyway you can.", she answers._

_"Look. Like I said before. You used too be there, all the time, reading my thoughts, analyzing my feelings, observing my dreams, and judging me every time my dick got hard.", he says as turned away from facing her. "I don't want that anymore."_

_She reaches to him and tries to hold him against her. He tries to shove her off, but she manages to hold on. "Look, Fernando. I maybe privy to your thoughts, dreams and feelings, but I never judged them. You have every right to feel and think what you like, and I would never hold it against you.", she tries to explain._

_"I leave your thoughts, dreams and feelings alone. I do not read them and I do not try to alter them.", Fernando explains._

_"I try to do the same with you…", she starts to reply. "But sometimes your signal is so strong and loud that… its like a Stop Sign on a road- there to be seen by anyone who passes by it…"_

_"Then ignore it.", he tells her._

_"Don't you think I try?", she answers._

_"In the past you always questioned me on them.", he tells her._

_"In the past you would lie about being fine when you weren't. I know when you hurt, and when you make a lie to cover up your pain. I worry about you.", she responds._

_"And you know this because you read the contents of my mind.", he says, almost pushing her off._

_"Some things cant be helped. You know that.", she tells him._

_"Sometimes you would open your mouth to the other girls about my dick being hard because I was thinking of what would it be like to be with some other girls.", he tells her as he finally pushes her off, takes a step to separate from her and turns to face her._

_"I wanted you to be honest with us, especially Cathy.", she tries to defend herself._

_"We were horny teenagers, Juanita! Sex- especially to us boys, is a 24 hour thing! Of course I will be fantasying about others, but I would always be loyal to the one I'm with!", he shouts at her._

_"I'm Sorry!", she yells back._

_A moment of silence passes between them._

_"Its been too many years too late to say you're sorry. Too may of us have died or moved on. Its just you and me, and whether you like it or not, I moved on. You should have too.", he tells her._

_Juanita tries to hold back her tears._

"Look… I'll be back later. Maybe in our dreamscape we can talk things out more peacefully.", he tells her. "I have to be going…"

Fernando lets go of the concentration and disconnects from Juanita. Back in the shower, she finishes washing up before turning off the water and grabbing a towel. She dries herself off and gets dressed in a grey business suit with a knee-high skirt. She gathers her other items, and a note pad to write things up with. She continues to carry Fernando's AA .45ACP in her purse. She gets to the parking lot just a couple of minutes to be fashionably late. They get into Hillshire's Mercedes station wagon, and drive off.

As they leave the complex, they pass a taxi that was heading to the compound. It stops by the main entrance of the front building and 3 young ladies step out of the car. They walk up the stairs and enter the building. The three of them stand in front of the reception desk. The older one hands the receptionist there a couple of papers of identification, along with the group's passports.

"We are here to see Doctor Bianchi.", she tells her.

"Please have a seat and I'll see if he is available. Can I ask what it is in reference too?", the receptionist says.

The older one nods to the younger one as she grabs onto an arm, and pops it off, putting it on the receptionist's desk. The receptionist can only look at the dismembered arm with a blank stare. The older one takes back the arm, giving it to the younger one who puts it back on. It clicks into place with a loud 'Clack!' The receptionist pushes herself away from her desk.

"I will bring it to his immediate attention.", the receptionist says as she gets up and leaves. The girls look at each other for a second.

"Did you had to do that, Yuka? You scared that lady 1/2 to death.", the youngest one says.

"Sometimes you have to be drastic in doing things to get them done, Mayu. At least now she will be getting somebody, if not Dr. Bianchi himself, to see Nana.", Yuka answers. "Lets go get a seat."

They get to sit on 3 waiting room chairs that were closest to the receptionist's desk. There they wait.

In a soccer field not far from the school, Kieya sits alone in the lower part of the stands. She seems to be argueing with herself.

"The priest did not had to die!", she yells to herself.

_"He heard you say that you were going to kill him in repeating my words. You think a confession is secretive if the priest thinks that his life is in danger?"_, the voice in her head answers. _"I was not going to allow us to go to jail for nothing!"_

From the far end, a lone figure runs across the field. It quickly approaches Kieya at the stands, turning out to be Rosita when she gets to where Kieya was at.

"Kieya! They Are Coming For You!", Rosita exclaims.

_"See, they are now after you… just like before."_, the voice in her head says. _"Villagers with pitchforks and torches, chasing to destroy the monster they believe you are. At Least Defend Yourself!"_

"NO!" Kieya yells

"Kieya!", Rosita yells back. Behind her on the opposite of the soccer field, the soccer team approaches with a few extra friends, many of them carrying baseball bats and sticks. Though they walk, they walk with a quicken stride, covering the space of the soccer field in under a minute.

_"Are you going to run like a chicken or make a stand?"_, the voice in her head asks. _"I say make a stand and eliminate these assholes from the face of the Earth!"_

"Make a stand…", Kieya says to herself.

"What?!!", Rosita almost yells. She grabs onto Kieya's arm to pull her to run away.

Instead, Rosita is sent sliding back on the grass quite some considerable distance as the group gathers about Kieya. She finally stops mid field, 1/2 sitting on her ass, with her legs wide open and knees bent upwards, showing the world the pink cotton panties that she wore underneath. The next several seconds happens before she could realized that they had past though she witnessed it with her own eyes and ears as she remained frozen in her seated position.

They stand menacing about her, holding their weapons in both hands as a show of strength. But they stand their ground.

"HOW DID YOU DO IT?!!", the one closest to her yells out.

"Watch it, she might have her sword behind her!", another yells from behind.

"You Freak!", another yells out from the crowd.

"YOU DON'T BELONG HERE!", another adds to the comments.

One beside her pushes her on her shoulder with his baseball bat. "You may have killed JD, But You Cant Hurt Us Here!"

"Bitch, You're Going To Pay For That!", one says as another baseball bat is swung to her head. It stops suddenly in mid air just inches from the side of her head, as if it hit something hard and is held in place. Its owner struggles to take it back.

Then bodies start to be sliced apart from their midsections and the heads torn off from their necks. There was no time to scream, or move to get out of the way. The carnage of body parts and spraying blood from them fill the tiny area. Those who were lucky to be missed by the first strike begin to run. But they are picked off one by one and are sliced apart like their friends. Only one left to see this happening was Rosita. She freaks out as a decpatiated head lands right between her ankles, its eyes wide open and fixated ahead, seeing what was under her skirt. She turns onto all fours and runs away from a crawling position. Some 30 dismembered and decpatiated bodies lay about the field, as the lone Kieya walks away.

"So this is whats left of the confessional?", Hillshire asks.

"Yes.", a younger priest tells him and the group.

Jose and the others look about and examining pieces of the confessional remains, noting that there was no burn or scorch marks, nothing to have indicated an explosive of any kind.

"Anything else happened during the day?", Hillshire asks.

"Uhm… a student was killed in the hallway by another student.", the priest answers.

"Why weren't we notified of this?", Hillshire asks.

"The police thought the two incidents were not related.", Jose stated.

"Juanita, what do you think?", Hillshire asks.

"If they are related, than our bomber is the student murderer.", Fernando answers, trying to simple about it.

"But there is no eveidnce of a bomb.", Jose says.

"One can easily do this by suddenly increasing air pressure over a tiny area, like with a CO2 fire extingusiher or something simillar.", Fernando explains.

"Then where's the fire extinguisher?", Jose asks.

"Maybe it was taken away like it was brought in.", Fernando continues to answer.

"So you're saying that somebody brought in a large fire extinguisher into the confessional box, released all its internal pressure at once which exploded the confessional, and was able to take it back out without leaving a trace or injuring the person who triggered the blast but killing the priest inside?" Jose started ask. "That's impossible!"

"I'm just stating what could be possible. Consider that if you eliminate all the impossible or improbable possibilities, what is left, no matter how remote, is the possible.", Fernando stated.

"You're beginning to sound like Fernando…", Jose stated. "Next thing you'll be saying that Santa Claus still rides on 8 tiny reindeer hauling his sleigh fulled with presents for all the good children on Christmas day!"

"You mean he don't?", Francesca asks.

They all turn to face her, even the younger cyborgs: Henrietta and Triela.

"Oh, now you done it…", Fernando says.

"Francesca still believes in Santa Claus? She's what- in her mid 20's?!!", Jose asks.

Fernando turns to Francesca for the moment. "Look… Francesca… We will talk about it when we return home. Right now focus on the mission at hand." Then she walks over to Jose and pulls him by the arm to some considerable distance between them and the rest of the group near the demolished confessional box.

"Look, we all know Francesca is not the brightest of all the cyborgs, but at least she still has her innocence, which is more than whay I can say about Henrietta or any of the other girls.", Fernando tells Jose in a mean but silent tone. "And when focused, she is more than capable of fighting a good fire fight, solving problems on her own and figuring out trails of evidence. But now you just distracted and derailed her something awful and I hope I can get her back on track! Do you understand where I'm coming from?!!"

"If Francesca was not up to the task, then why you brought her?", Jose asks.

"That was Ferro's idea, and orders. Not mine. As such Francesca is operating under me, and until now she was doing just fine. Thanks a lot- asshole.", Fernando tells him.

"Maybe you two should withdraw from the case…", Jose almost demands of her.

"Maybe you're afraid that a woman would solve…", Fernando starts to interrupt him but he suddenly stops, and double over in pain, falling onto her knees. She clutches the side of her head, yelling, "GOD! STOP IT!!! MAKE IT STOP!!!"

Jose could do nothing more than just watch Juanita's body writhe on the floor. The others run to where they were. Hillshire checks on her vital signs, finding a slight trace of blood coming out of her nose and ears.

"Jose, call Ferro and get an agency medical crew here, stat!", Hillshire tells him.

Within minutes a medical crew arrives and puts Juanita's body on a guerney, and takes her away. Francesca follows her and gets on the ambulance. Ferro arrives at the scene as Juanita is taken away.

"What happened here?", Ferro asks.

"I don't know. One minute we were discussing the case, and of a comment I made about Francesca's ability to work on the field and then next minute she is on the floor screaming and holding the sides of her head after trying to tell me to watch my remarks about Francesca.", Jose explains.

"Looks to me she may have had a stroke.", Hillshire stated.

"We wont know that until her head is x-rayed. Until then… damn…", Ferro started to say. "What did you said about Francesca's abilities, Jose?"

"Juanita thinks that this destruction may have been caused by a deliberate imploding of a fire extinguisher. But there are no clues supporting this either. I challeneged her analysis, and then made a comment whether if she believes in Santa Claus. That was when Francesca asked if he really did exists.", Jose explains.

"I see. Look- Francesca is not the brightest girl in the group, but she is a very capable indiependant operative. The best we got, despite her little quirks! Fernando trained her well, very well! How do you think she solved all those cases she was on alone, without supervision? OK, she's child-like in some ways, but all the girls shows some quirks. Even your Henrietta has her quirks- least I not remind you of all those times she went berzerk and killed everyone because she percieved an unreal threat to your safety!", Ferro states to him.

Jose could not answer, because it was true. Ferro's blackberry rings, and she answers it.

"Yes Priscilla. What was that? Oh dear… I'll get back to you on this. I need to regroup the fratelloes first.", Ferro answers.

"What was that about?", Hillshire asks.

"Over 30 bodies of dead and dismembered teenagers were found in the soccer field not far from here.", Ferro explains.

They all look at her with wide eyed disbelief.

Nana sits on the examination table with just a hospital gown on while Mayu and Yuka sit by as Dr. Bianchi examines Nana.

"So Kurama sent you here.", Dr. Bianchi asks. "How is he?"

"Uhm…", Yuka started to say. "We don't know."

"Don't know?", Dr. Bianchi asks.

"Papa's missing.", Nana answered.

"Missing? You… are his daughter?", Dr. Bianchi asks.

All three girls nod.

"Uhm…", he started to say, as he fingered through her hair to examine her horns. "Last I remember, he was studying a human mutation of sorts. You have that mutation?"

"Yes!", Yuka answers for Nana.

"Why cant the girl answer for herself?", Dr. Bianchi answers.

"Uhm… because she was in the facility most of her life, even though she was Director's Kurama's daughter, her education is rather limited. We have been teaching her ever since we got her.", Yuka explains.

"Yes, but I think she can answer the questions herself.", Dr. Bianchi says. "So, what happened to you and your father?"

"Uhm…", Nana started to say.

"Its OK, Nana. You can tell him what happened.", Mayu stated.

"Uhm…", Nana continued.

"Just say it.", Yuka encouraged her on.

"Uhm… Some of the subjects in the facility escaped and fought with the staff. I was wounded in the first battle trying to save papa. My arms and legs were cut off by them named Lucy, and when the fight was over, the facility gave me these new arms and legs. But they are not perfect. Then there was a second battle with other subjects that escaped, and Papa put me in an escape pod to leave the facility and that was the last I saw of him. Months later we find this letter in the escape pod we have kept in storage, explaining for me to come here for new arms and legs as a favor to be returned.", Nana explains.

"I don't mean to break your heart, but we do not freely give out new arms and legs to just anyone. And yours seems to be in fine working order, though beaten up they maybe. Anyone in the same situation as you are would give their souls to have what you got.", Dr. Bianchi explains.

Yuka gets up and walks over to Nana, taking hold of her arm. "OK, Nana. Let me have it." Nana looks at her for a moment, unsure as to what to do. She then relaxes on her concentration and lets the arm pop off its holding socket. Yuka hands the arm to Dr. Bianchi. "X-ray that, and come back with the results. While you do, I want you to know that we know everythng about the advanced cyborg technology this place has to offer. And we know that you as a government agency could have us killed and have Nana taken away for study or to be converted into one of your killing machines. We as a little adoptive family been through all this before in Japan, so we have nothing to lose in that regard. But if there any humanity left in your heart, you will understand that this girl needs are of the utmost importance, and that we came here on the possibility of getting her help."

Dr. Bianchi can only look at her, not realizing how light the dummy arm was in his hands. He then nods before walking out the door.

"Wow… that was some speech you gave him, Yuka.", Mayu says.

"You have to read people's actions and say things that call to their inner being and not their wants and desires of greed, power and money. Sometimes you just have to tell them off to make them do the right thing.", Yuka says.

"You think they will help us now?", Nana asks.

"Either that, or capture us and do know knows what…", Yuka says.

A brief monement of silence passes.

"I'm sorry…", Mayu stated.

"What for?", Yuka asks.

"For tempting Kouta.", Mayu says. "If it were not for me doing that, we all would be together right now and he would be doing the talking and backing us up."

"Its OK.", Yuka tells her.

15 minutes later Dr. Bianchi returns with two other doctors, closing the door behind them. He holds out the arm just beyond Nana's reach.

"Explain to me how this arm can move about?", Dr. Bianchi asks.

"Not until you tell us what you found and who your two friends are!", Yuka demanded.

The three medical staff turn to face Yuka, and then each other.

"Alright…", the thin one starts to say, "My name is Dr. Duvalier. My associate is Dr. Belisario, and of course you met with Dr. Bianchi. Now do please take care of answering Dr. Bianchi's question. How does this device move?"

"What did you find?", Yuka says.

"Nothing.", Dr. Belisario stated. "Nothing at all. No servos, no motors, no mecahincal or electrical componants at all, except high density foam rubber around PVC tubing for structural support. Now, the problem is if this unit moves when connected to the patient, we want to know how."

Yuka looks over to Mayu and nods. Mayu turns to Nana, saying, "Show them like you showed me when we met."

Nana is unsure how to respond, but Mayu nods at her. Then the arm floats off Dr. Bianchi's hands and into place on the socket recepticle on the stub of her arm. It clicks into place with a loud 'CLACK!' The three doctors cringe to the wall like a fraidy cat just finding a mouse in the room. Nana hops off the examination table and stands before them.

"I hope I did not scared you. Nana is a good girl, I would never ever hurt anyone.", she says.

The three doctors relax but keep their distance from her.

"She has some considerable range, so standing against the wall wont help you.", Mayu says.

Dr. Duvalier steps up to her and holds her arm. "Then how are you moving the arm?", he asks.

The pen from his pocket floats out and hovers between them.

"You're doing that?", Dr. Duvalier asks as he takes hold of the pen, feeling a holding force against it.

Nana can only nod. The force is released and he puts the pen back in his pocket.

"It takes a lot of concentration.", Nana says. "If I don't…", as she continues, then suddenly her leg pops off. She bends over to pick it up and put it back into place. Like the arm, it goes back with a loud 'Clack!'

"Its tiring for her to be concentrating all the time to keep her arms and legs together with her body. That's why we came here, as Kurama's letter stated.", Yuka stated to them.

"Tell me… Are you really Dr. Kurama's daughter?", Dr. Duvalier asks.

"Papa was a doctor?', Nana asks.

"He was an expert of his field in Human Genetics, even though he was not a medical doctor, he was a scientist, and in that, he is a doctor.", Dr. Duvalier explained.

"That would explain he wore the white lab coat sometimes.", Nana said to herself.

"That's right. Now are you really his daughter?", Dr. Duvalier stated.

Nana could only nod shyly.

"There were several sisters in the facility, so I was not the only one. But I was the nicest one of them all. I would not hurt anyone with my vectors.", Nana explained.

"Vectors?", Duvalier asks. "That force I felt holding my pen when I grabbed it?"

"Yes.", Nana stated.

"Look. We are not here so she could be experiemented on. We want her to be whole again, and then we will be on our way home. We hoped that whatever favors was given that one would be returned to at least her.", Yuka stated.

Dr. Duvalier feels the horns on Nana's head with his finger. "Tell me, did they call you by some fancy name to the facility?", he asked.

"Uhm… I think it was Diclonius Sipleth Number 7. But Papa has always called me Nana.", Nana explained.

"Diclonius? Isn't that the teleknetically violent mutant?", Dr. Belisario asked.

"Nana would never hurt a fly, and she saved many on that research facility when the others attacked it!", Yuka explained excitedly.

"Yes, that was what Dr. Kurama studied.", Dr. Bianchi answered. Then he turned to Yuka. "How do you know that Nana would never hurt anyone?"

"She had many chances to do, but never once I have seen her hurt anyone!", Mayu added her voice. "Even when our house and home was invaded by government soliders hunting down another Diclonius named Lucy!"

"You never hurt anyone?", Dr. Duvalier asks. "Not even in self defense?"

"Never.", Nana answered.

"What about self defense or been ordered too fight?", Dr. Duvalier asks.

"I was ordered to find Lucy when she escaped but we fought and that's when she cut my arms and legs off…", Nana says, holding back tears. "I tried to do good for Papa in finding Lucy, I even tried to fight her for him, but I lost. Lucy was mean and vicious. I am not mean and vicious…" Tears start to roll down her face.

Dr. Duvalier looks at the others. "Fellas… Conference time." The other nods, then leave the room.

Yuka picks up Nana's clothes and hands them to her. "Might as well get dressed. Looks like they are not going to help up out after all.", she says.

"Why not? I been a good girl…", Nana says.

"I know you have.", Yuka stated. "But, they don't seem interested in helping you at all."

"At least we tried.", Mayu said.

"Yeah…", Yuka added.

The doctors returned, closing the door behind them. They look at Nana as she was putting on her clothes back on.

"Maybe its for the best.", Dr. Duvalier stated. The others nod.

"What do you mean?", Yuka asked.

"Since you know so much about us, I'll be frank with you.", Dr. Bianchi stated to her. "We have one of our field operatives returning in really bad shape and its currently taking most of our resources to deal with that medical emergency. But, we have decided to give Nana a new set of arms and legs, provided that she returns in 3 days for the operation and stay another week so she can get used to them. During these 3 days, we will deal with the emergency we have now and maybe, hopefully, will be cleared of its tasks."

Each doctor gives the girls a business card. "Call us in 3 days.", Dr. Belisario says.

"3 days? Do we have that kind of money?", Mayu asks.

"And a week on top of that. We will have to make due with what we have then. We will have to get a smaller room, and share beds at the hotel.", Yuka started to say.

The doctors look at each other for a moment. Dr. Bianchi steps up to Yuka.

"The 3 of you wait outside. I'll have a financial councilor discuss with you on having the government pay for your bills. I'm going to tell you now that the operation Nana will have is going to cost a couple of million Euros, but it will all be covered. A couple of thousand Euros for the family's hotel lodgings is nothing, and can be easily covered. As for food- We know a few places that can help with that too.", he tells her.

Yuka can only stay sitting in awe to what was just told to her. Mayu gets up and hugs Nana, "Did you hear that! We need not worry about money for paying for your operation, the hotel, or for food!"


	7. Chapter 7

SWA: Diclonius End Game.

A Gunslinger Girl X Elfen Lied Crossover, by Elfen Magix.

* * *

Gunslinger Girl is © Yu Aida

Elfen Lied is © Lynn Okamotto

Elfen Magix is my online name since 1984 when the first BBSes and Hologate Email relays were online, long before the internet as you know it went online in 1992. It has no connection to Elfen Lied, and no, I did not lied!

* * *

Chapter 7: Fernando Once Again.

The two stand facing each other, as if something had brought them together back into the realm which few know about.

"_Look, it is not your fault.", she tells him. "Even if we were in our respective places, it still would have floored me. So, stop worrying."_

_"Why do we have to be so sensitive to death's psychic screams?", he asks._

_"Its not that we are sensitive. It is that they are so loud. One or two we can handle. My limit seems to be around 4, which is why that car accident a couple of days back hit you kinda hard. But 30 all at once? I don't think anyone with our shared ability would have been able to screen that out.", she explains to him._

_"How do you know it was 30?", he asks._

_"I have been on your feet since you were brought back by ambulance. Look. Your body is not 100 percent yet, but I think you could do better being back inside where you belong rather than in my body which had fell to below a 45 percent. Besides, I know how to heal my body better than you can.", she tells him._

_"Why must you be right most of the time?", he asks._

_"Funny. I say the same thing about you…", she remarks._

_For a moment they look at each other._

_"You ready to switch back?", she asks._

_"Not that I have any choice…", he tells her._

_"Look, I'll be fine in a day or two. Like you, the bloody nose and ears are just for show. So I'll be fine.", she started to say. "Besides, you need to know what it is that is going on out there. From what you're showing, it's a very powerful telekinetic who is doing the killings. That is something these people are not going to take as scientific fact until they have been sliced, diced and Julianne Fried!"_

_"You're right.", he says to her._

_"I know I'm right!", she tells him. "Now lets switch back and get this puppy howling!"_

_"Juanita…", he started to say._

_"Yes?", she asks._

_"You don't do me very well.", he tells her._

_"You don't do a very good Juanita either. Jose was beginning to think that I was you because you stomped him with your Fernando-isms.", she responded._

_"I'm just doing what I thought was right.", he replies._

_"I know.", she answers. "That's what counts."_

_They both sigh after a moment of silence between them._

_"Ready?", she asks._

_"Ready.", he answers._

_She takes his hands in hers. The light between them in the realm begins to brighten. She manages one last sentence before they leave the realm in their respective places._

_"Don't forget to take down names and kick some ass!"_

Fernando suddenly sits up on his bed in a cold sweat. He brings the blanket close to him, using part of it to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He folds his hands together for a second and puts his forehead against them for second.

With a bit of concentration, he adjusts his parameters to his normal level. Then he reaches out with his mind to feel the room around him. He shifts over to sit up on the side of the bed, and gets up with his eyes closed. Continuing on with his eyes closed, he mentally feels the room to a path to the dresser and then the closet, where he gathers a fresh set of clothes to put on which he places on the bed. Placing the items on the bed, he takes a towel to the bathroom to take a long overdue hot shower.

In less than an hour, he silently readies himself. He straightens out his Hugo Boss single breasted suit jacket, adjusts his black silk tie just a bit, then his belt buckle. He pats himself under his right side, where his remaining other AA .45 would be and he smiles. He reaches onto the top of the dresser and retrieves his glasses. He puts them on his face, giving them a slight adjustment before stepping to the door. He stops for a moment as he grabs onto the door knob. His eye closes behind the dark lenses of this glasses and he concentrates, tuning down the volume of psychic static of minds until it was silence, and filtering out everyone except for those close to him and to anything with an unusual pattern. At least for now, the psychic death screams can be muffled down to a minimum. He senses something odd nearby, but the signal being received is strangely not a threatening one.

The door opens and he steps out into the hallway of the real world, for the first time in days since he had stopped taking his mind numbing drug. Though not at 100 percent, a 92 percent is better than what he has had before. Testing himself, he heads down the stairs as quietly, but quietly as possible, taking each landing of the steps with just the toes of his foot. He stops at the first floor across from the administrative offices doorway. He enters quietly, without being noticed, and heads to Ferro's office. He opens the door and steps in, knowing full well to knock first before entering.

"Who the…", Ferro started to say first. "You know better to knock before entering."

"I don't care.", Fernando tells her. "Hand over my gun and my keys."

"What gun and keys?", she asks.

"My other AA .45 that Juanita was carrying on the mission with her today, and my Porsche car keys that she had.", he tells her.

"And how do you know I have them?", she asks.

"For the same reason I know that you are wearing black laced underwear under everything you got on right now.", he tells her. "Now hand them over before I forget that I am a gentleman."

"And what are you going to do to me now that you have forgotten how to be a gentleman?", Ferro challenges.

"Don't challenge me, Ferro.", Fernando tells her. "Just hand me my keys and gun so then I can follow some leads to this case."

"What do you know about the case?", she asks.

"More than I will ever admit to you before my final report is handed over.", he says.

"Really…", she started to say. "I thought we had a special relationship of supervisor and field agent, and as former case partners for you to be hiding information from me."

"I can tell you that more people are going to die if this person is not caught, Ferro. Now are you going to hand over my stuff or…", he starts to get louder with each word.

"Or else what?", she interrupts him. "You just got over your illness, you should go to medical and get a clearance before I will release you to a case!", as she gets up from her desk, putting her fists on it and leans over to him.

Fernando puts his hand to the side of his temple, as if he was in pain. Immediately afterwards the coffee mug on Ferro's desk shatters, spilling hot coffee on her desk. She panics for a second, trying to mop up the spilled coffee with what ever she could get a hold of. Fernando just sighs, putting his hand down. Ferro gives him an odd look, as if Fernando's actions were tied to the coffee mug shattering. For a second she looks at him, then she opens her middle desk draw, taking out his keys and gun, handing it over to him.

"Thank you.", he tells her as he pockets his items. He looks over her desk before stepping away and heads to the door.

"Juanita is in intensive care of the medical facility.", Ferro shouts out as he grabs the doorknob.

"I know. Who do you think told me you had my stuff?", Fernando replies to her.

"Huh?", Ferro unsurely responds.

Fernando opens the door and walks out the door. Ferro drops what she was cleaning up and runs to the door. She goes after to find Fernando, but find him gone, as if he was never there.

Fernando makes a phone call to Francesca on his cell phone from inside his Porsche. He orders to report to him in the parking lot and get inside his car, to brief him on the case. She follows his orders,

Once inside the car, they slowly drive off, Francesca explaining everything she knows about the case though like everyone else, it was not much. He drives slowly, about the pace of a person jogging by as they go down the main street away from the complex.

"That would be fine, Francesca.", he begins to tell her. "Now, I'm about to disclose a few things to you that are going to be confidential, not even the Agency is to know about this information. Understand me?"

"Yes.", Francesca answers.

"Good.", Fernando tells her. "Now, where should I begin?" He hesitates and thinks for a second. "Look, and understand that man kind is ever in search to take short cuts to become god. Like Satan, on a genetic level there is an urge for man to want to lash out at god for banishing him from Eden. Its like a 3yr old wanting to get even with their parents for punishing them for doing something bad that they don't realize what they did was bad."

"And all this is about?", Francesca asks.

"Long story short, Man, all men, women and child has abilities that would give them god like powers if accessed. The problem is that 99.9997 percent of them never are able to access such abilities in their life times.", he explains.

"And the .0003 percent?", she asks.

"Well, anything goes.", he answers.

"Huh?", she responds.

"Let me put it this way. In my case- due to years of genetic experimenting and inbreeding for in search of the perfect fighting knight by the Spanish , from about 1200AD to 1500AD, I have super strength and super speed.", he starts to explain.

"I know that. Its no secret at all.", she replies.

Fernando pulls over to the curb, putting the Porsche out of gear and parks it with the engine running.

"I also have the ability to read minds, though for many years I have been taking a drug to stop that ability.", he says.

"Huh?", she responds.

"Look. Such abilities come with a price, and that price is going crazy having other people's thoughts clash in your head. I wanted to end that so I did what I thought was right at the time. But anyways, I am no longer taking that drug, and that ability is coming back. Also- Juanita also has this ability. We keep it a secret so that our agency don't try to force us to use our ability on others. You understand what I'm telling you and why it must be a secret?", he explains.

"Uhm, I think so. But if you can read minds, what am I thinking?", she says and then asks.

Fernando leans over to her and plants a kiss on her lips before giving her an answer.

"You want to believe.", he tells her.

Francesca bites on her lower lip and nods her head slightly.

"Look, I would never use my ability on you and especially against you. Neither would Juanita. So your dark secrets, if you have any, are safe from us as they have always been.", he explains.

She reaches over and hugs him. After a while, he initiates their separation.

"Now, Francesca, understand this. What happened to Juanita was that she was attacked on the mind reading level. To explain, I mean, yes, we can read minds, we can also change them. We can even cause pain and even kill on that level is needed. You don't have that ability, so you can not defend us if it were to happen. So don't worry about us in that sense, but you can defend us on the physical level which we all live in. OK?", he explains.

"I think so…", Francesca starts to say. "I will do my best for you."

"Now, the other side of the coin, certain people can use their minds to move things without physically touching them.", he starts to explain.

"But, how?", she asks.

"I do not know. I do not have that ability, so I can not explain it. But I do know that it exists and seen it in action.", he answers. "Now, in this case, we are dealing with a killer who has this ability, and is using it to kill people. The range and level of power of this person is unknown, it is very powerful if they can tear bodies apart with ease. Furthermore, they may not be aware that it is going in."

"Not know? But how?", she asks.

"The person's mind may be triggering the killings on a subconscious level, or the person may have a split persona and in both cases would be unaware of what was going on.", he answers. "In both cases, this would be a very dangerous person."

She could only nod.

"Look, Francesca. I need you to listen to my orders and obey them. Even if it means you needing to abandon me to save yourself. Just do as I say and don't question conflicting orders.", he tells her.

"But…", she started to say.

"No Butts. I need you to be able to do as I tell you. This is a dangerous mission we are on. You seen what had happened to Juanita, and yet, nothing seemed to have approached her to physically attack her. So for your safety, I don't want the same to happen to you, so you are going to have to do as I say even if you may not agree to what I tell you to do. Now agree to that and follow those orders. I would not want to force you into a reprogramming conditioning state to force those orders into your little head.", he tells her.

"OK… But…", she started to say.

"No Butts. I love you a lot, Francesca, and I do not want you to get hurt by forces that you would not understand. OK? That's why I need you to listen and obey.", he tells her.

She can only nod.

"Good.", he responds. "We have a case to work on." He then puts the Porsche into gear and unlocks the brakes. They begin to go down the streets of Rome to the scene of the crime.

Hillshire, Jose and their cyborgs case over the soccer field where the latest rash of murders were made. Like the police before them, they were made ill by the sight of blood and bodies that were strewn about the place, by more so by the amount thereof.

"It takes a sick and vicious mind to do this.", Hillshire says as be prods a body with a metal pointer, examining how it was sliced.

"Vicious, I can agree with, but sick?", Jose asks.

"Yes, sick, Jose. In Europol, I had to deal with cases like these, Triela's case most notably. We are dealing with a person who is perverted to the point of having any disregard for human life. They kill for the enjoyment of killing.", Hillshire explains. "Look here. One would think that having your body sliced in half would instantly kill you. Well, its not always so. People have survived this in sort of injury in plane and train accidents, but only if they are taken to a hospital immediately. There was even a couple of Israeli cases of people surviving bombings with 1/2 a body. But look- heads have also been decapitated from the severed bodies. That shows a deliberate cause of action to kill."

"It just shows that this person, was a vicious bastard and is trying to send a message.", Jose says.

"No. It was part of their ritual.", Hillshire explains. "Who ever managed to survive having their bodies cut n half, were then singled out and have their heads cut off from their necks. Look at the ones further down field. Arms and legs were cut of to keep them from running any further, followed by a body cut and then the head cut off. This person knows what they are doing. What we are dealing with is a ritualized serial killer."

"And what kind of weapon did they kill with?", Jose asks.

"A sword or large blade of some kind. I can almost bet it would be a Samurai blade of some sort.", Hillshire answers.

"How would you know that?", Jose asks.

"Only a trained Samurai with a proper blade can so easily slice a body in this fashion so easily and swiftly. Look, these poor kids never had a chance to run, it was that fast, and only one trained in such a manner and with such a very sharp blade would have killed so fast and so many on the first blow like this.", Hillshire answers.

"OK. So we are dealing with somebody who is walking around the streets of Rome with a large sword. That would be easy to pick out. And with the girls using guns, can easily stay out of the bastard's reach.", Jose comments. "But explain the scene at the church."

"I have no answers for that, but notice that the priest's head was severed in just the same way as all these were.", Hillshire explained.

"But to cut through all that wood to get at the priest…", Jose started to say.

"Confessional boxes are made out of almost paper thin wood over a light frame. This person would have easily sliced through the confessional box as he was cutting off the priest's head. Evidence here suggests that we are dealing with a very strong and very fast individual.", Hillshire interrupts to explain.

"Only person, outside of a cyborg, who is capable of doing this is Fernando. He does have the super strength and super speed to do this sort of thing.", Jose comments.

"Fernando was also sick and locked in his dorm room for the past week. But I agree, this would be somebody with his abilities, perhaps with the same genetic make up as he. Damn those Spaniards for their inbreeding…", Hillshire says.

"Heh… A Japanese Samurai Trained Inbred Super Powered Spaniard. That should limit our computer search to just a couple of individuals. Care to return to do the coding and data crunching?", Jose says.

"You can go ahead. I want to continue to search the field for a bit longer as the bodies are picked up. Maybe a clue will be dropped by one of them.", Hillshire answers.

"Suit yourself then. Henrietta. Lets go get some gelato before returning to the agency for some paper work.", Jose says as he extends his hand. Henrietta takes Jose's hand and they leave together.

Hillshire continues to examine the bodies as they are assembled together into body bags and put into the morgue truck. He takes careful notes and photographs of the area. About a minute later, Fernando arrives with Francesca as the last of the bodies were put into the truck.

"Jose left you alone out here?", Fernando asks.

"Yes… Aren't you supposed to be sick in bed?", Hillshire asks.

"I got better. Besides, with Juanita down, I'm stepping in to take her place. So what do we have?", Fernando says and then asks.

"A disgusting scene of slaughtered and cut up bodies.", Hillshire says.

"I see.", Fernando responds. "Francesca enlightened me on the details on the way over here. So what do you think?"

"I'm not here to play games, Fernando. There were some 30 bodies cut up in this area.", Hillshire stated.

"I'm not playing games. But I'm telling you now that if we don't get this person or persons soon, there will be more bodies to count. This is just the beginning, and I doubt that even our girls would be able to stop this person.", Fernando tells him.

"My Triela is more than capable of handling herself in a fight.", Hillshire says.

"I'm not doubting her abilities. But I think we are all underestimating our killer's abilities. You said 30 people were killed here?", Fernando says and then asks as he looks about the soccer field. "30?"

"Yes, 30. Actually 32.", Hillshire says.

"And, who were the victims?", Fernando asks.

"Teenagers from the school.", Hillshire adds.

"Anything special about any of them?", Fernando asks.

"Special?", Hillshire asks.

"You know. Gang colours. Team jackets. Stuff like that.", Fernando stated.

"Hmmm… The boys… they were mostly from the soccer and baseball teams.", Hillshire says to himself with one arm crossed supporting the other which has his hand under his chin.

"So, you have a group of boys, in excellent physical shape, more than capable of defending themselves, more muscle than a furniture moving company, slaughtered here by somebody… was it with a gun, a machine gun most likely?", Fernando presses on the point.

"It seemed like they were sliced up with a large blade, a sword perhaps.", Hillshire answers.

"30… against 1 with a sword.", Fernando started to say. "Something is not adding up."

"If I did not know better, I would have said you did this.", Hillshire stated.

"Me? Using me as a scapegoat? As an excuse for your incompetence?!! Start explaining yourself before I forget how nice of a person I really am!!!", Fernando started to get angry.

"I believe, that is it somebody with your abilities of strength and speed.", Hillshire began to explain. "Perhaps somebody with a similar genetic make up as yours to give them that ability. Tell me, how many descendants of the former Spanish Royal Family are there worldwide?"

"Tens of thousands, as far as I know. Most are in South America, for that was where Queen Isabella II went in 1863.", Fernando answers.

"But, there are a few here and there all over the planet. Right?", Hillshire asks.

"You tell me how many Hartmans are there in the world, and you can basically figure out the same for me.", Fernando tells him.

"But in all seriousness… Of your genetic relatives, how many share in your abilities?", Hillshire added.

"I would not know.", Fernando added. "Much of the line has been watered down with a occasional one or two being born with such abilities. If you take 1 percent of 1 percent of all of them, you are talking about a couple of hundred individuals."

"A good number to work with.", Hillshire explains.

"You think somebody from my family did this?", Fernando asks.

"Somebody from your genetic background. A distant relative of yours, if you want to put it that way, yes.", Hillshire says. "You have issues on having a potential family member being hunted down?"

"No- but all are innocent until proven or admitted guilty. The other side of the coin, what if this was the work of a cyborg like our girls?", Fernando added. "Remember when I found Francesca, I posed the question of, 'What if… Padania and other enemies of the state had created others like our girls and had released them into the public, where they would start to kill as programmed?' Fortunately for us, we found and restored Francesca. But in all seriousness… What if… this was the work of a cyborg. Italy is not the only nation with such technologies."

"I thought of that for a moment. Then I looked for possible cyborg clues: Deeply imbedded footprints, bent or deformed railings, something, anything that would suggest there was a cyborg here. Remember, they are heavier than a normal person, and as such would leave these clues behind.", Hillshire explains.

"And what did you find?", Fernando asks.

"Nothing. Not even a finger print or a misplaced lock of hair.", Hillshire stated.

"So basically you are looking for a big brute with a large sword who is light on his feet, bald and wearing gloves. Is that it?", Fernando adds.

"Now you are getting on my nerves.", Hillshire says to him.

"I am just going by with what you have told me.", Fernando stated. "Not much to go on, isn't it?"

"Hmph…", Hillshire says to himself. He then turns to Triela, "Triela, lets go back to the agency. We got a lot of work to do."

"I'll see you soon…", Fernando yells at them as they start to walk away.

Francesca steps behind Fernando, putting her gun away. Fernando notices that she did.

"You did not had to have your gun drawn.", Fernando tells her.

"I have to protect you…", Francesca tells him.

"First of all, relax down from mission mode. OK?", Fernando tells her.

Francesca sighs, her facial expression lightening up from her more serious appearance.

"Now look. 30 armed and dangerous kids… You tell me can you take on such a group with a sword in your hands?", Fernando tells her.

"No.", Francesca answers.

"This action shows how fast the mind can work when there is no physical manifestation like an arm or a leg to act with it. You are not able to keep up with that, you would not be able to lift up your gun to aim it before such force has begun to cut you up, Francesca. This is why I am telling you to do as I tell you, even though it may conflict with training and previous orders.", Fernando tells her.

"But I need to protect you.", Francesca says.

"Protect, yes. But I also need you to think, collect evidence and clues, surmise what may have happened, and how. You can still draw that gun of yours against a physical assailant without needing to have it already in your hands. This is not a battle field of a Padania Safe house. And most of all, you are not good to me dead.", Fernando explains.

Francesca could only nod.

"Good girl.", Fernando tells her with a slight hug. Francesca could only stand there, a bit surprised at the sudden hug, blushing bright red as she does not know how to respond.

The door open and 4 enter the room. They walk about the suite's main room before stepping to the eating area and all take a seat around the table.

"Yuka, Is this where you are staying?", the oldest of the four says.

"Yes, Ms Priscilla. It is cheaper to stay in this suite than it would have been to rent 5 separate rooms for all of us.", Yuka answers.

"5?", Priscilla asks.

"Yes; myself, Nana, Mayu, which you met. Then there is Nyu, and Kouta.", Yuka explains.

"And you are all girls?", Priscilla asks.

"No, uhm. Kouta is a guy. He has his own room.", Yuka explains as she points to a door at the end of the suite.

"I see.", Priscilla says.

Priscilla takes down a notation on a clipboard.

"How are you currently paying for all this?", Priscilla then asks.

"We have some money that we saved for a vacation, and the rest goes onto our credit card. But we are trying to keep expenses down.", Yuka explains.

"About how much money are we taking about?", Priscilla asks.

"I would have to look at our books to see how much is left.", Yuka answers.

"Books?", Priscilla asks.

"Expenses and Finances Books? I write everything down the family spends, right down the last Yen.", Yuka says.

"How long did you intend to stay here? For Nana's operation and all?", Priscilla asked.

"Well. For most of us, a week at most, then everyone but Kouta and myself would stay until Nana got out of the hospital.", Yuka answered.

Priscilla looks at Mayu for a second. Then she writes more comments on her clipboard, more than when she does with each question answered.

"Isn't she kinda young to be flying alone?", Priscilla asks.

"Nozomi stayed at home, so she would pick her up from the airport and take her home. Besides, Nyu would be going with Mayu as well, so she would not be flying alone.", Yuka explains.

"And when they leave, you two would go to a smaller room?", Priscilla asks.

"Of course!", Yuka answers, getting annoyed at the questions. "Look, I understand the need for the questioning, but this is getting personal."

"Well.", Priscilla started to say, "We need to make sure that the patient has a proper home-life to live in, as living with these prosthetics will require some work for her to get used too and maintenance for proper operations."

Yuka stands there looking at her, knowing all that they had been through, to be questioned about their home life bothers her.

"So, since Kouta sleeps in a separate room, you and he are not married?", Priscilla asks.

"We're cousins.", Yuka stated with her head bowed down.

"Oh! But, uhm, you are listed here as Nana and Mayu's parents.", Priscilla says in question.

"In Japan one can accept children to care for and not be married. Besides, as cousins we share the same last name, so why get married when we already have that much?", Yuka tries to explain.

"So… you and him in a relationship?", Priscilla asks.

"No!", Yuka almost yells.

"You and anyone else?", Priscilla asks.

"No…", Yuka answers.

"What about Kouta?", Priscilla asks.

"No he is not!", Yuka holds back from yelling.

Priscilla puts her pen and clipboard down, the top page only shows a scantron sheet filled with small circles, some of them already filled in. The other pages with written information was under the scantron sheet. Priscilla turns to face Yuka.

"How would you know?", Priscilla asks.

"We're cousins! We do everything together; go to school, work, live and care for the house and family we have! He has no time for anyone else but us!", Yuka explains loudly.

"Men have secret lives. How would you know if he has some mistress he's consorting with?", Priscilla asks.

"Because he is with me most of the time, and in his room studying when he isn't!", Yuka explains.

"Then, lets go check his room.", Priscilla almost demanded.

"Uhm… No…", Yuka says.

"And why not?", Priscilla asks.

"I respect his privacy.", Yuka says.

"There is no privacy in a home and family inspection.", Priscilla explains. "You are lucky that I'm not here to search the place for contraband…"

"Contraband?", Yuka asks.

"Drugs, paraphernalia, weapons, pornography, things like that.", Priscilla explains.

Yuka gives Priscilla a good long stare. "Girls, go to your rooms. I need to talk with this person in private."

"OK…", Mayu says as she takes Nana by the wrist. "We can be in my room…", as they get up and leave the area.

Yuka waits for them to leave and for their door to close. She then turns to Priscilla.

"I had enough of this. How dare you question us, after what we had been through in Japan… You can go back to whatever office or cubical you crawled out from and reject Nana's application if you like. But I will return, and I will be speaking to your supervisor, and put in a former complaint of your treatment of us.", Yuka started. "In fact, get out. I do not want to see you."

Priscilla gets up from her seat, gathering her papers. She unclips the scantron sheet from the board and tears it. She then reclips the torn sheets to the clip board.

"Consider the application rejected.", Priscilla says. "I can see my way out of this place." She walks to the door and opens it, but does not step out. "By the way, may you find your stay in Italy a fond one." She then closes the door behind her.

Yuka puts her face to her hands and begins to cry.

Priscilla reaches into her pocket as she waits for the elevator, and a light on her ear piece lit up.

"Hello Ferro. Yes, it went better than expected. 'Yuka' would make an excellent handler candidate despite her young age. Yes, I know she would require more training, but she seems authoritative over the girls in the family and they give her a lot of respect. What? No, the male was not with them as much as I have seen. Nor of the fourth girl mentioned in the application. I'll be down in a couple of minutes as soon as the elevator gets here.", Priscilla talks to her ear piece.

As Yuka cries, the Mayu and Nana comes out of Mayu's room, sitting next to her on the dining area table.

"What happened?", Mayu asks.

"It looks like my actions got Nana's medical application rejected.", Yuka says as she tried to stop her tears.

"But why?", Mayu asks. "I mean… if they wanted to look at our rooms, I would let them.", Mayu says.

"I would too…", Nana added.

"No, its not that.", Yuka started to say.

"Then, what is it?", Mayu asks.

"The insinuations, the personal questions, the bull crap. They think we have something to hide, that we are criminals.", Yuka stated to them as she dried her tears.

"Its OK if I don't get my new arms and legs.", Nana started to say. "As long as we are together as a family, and you all teach me the things I have to learn, we will be fine. I don't really need their crumby arms and legs if its going to make us unhappy."

Yuka does not believe what she just heard. She tries to smile at the comment, but finds it difficult to do so.

"Nana, you and I are going there tomorrow and make damn sure that you get them. I promise you that!", Yuka tells hers.

Nyu steps out of Kouta's room, rubbing her eyes and yawning. "Nyu?!", she asks as she steps to the dining area.

"Was Kouta in there with you?", Yuka asks. Nyu only shook her head.

He stares at the computer screen, trying to make heads and tails of the information on the screen.

"A serial killer in Demark kills 10, his primary weapon being a sword. But that was 1973 and never been resolved. Another serial killer using a sword in the French Alps, 9 bodies found buried in the snow, though he stated he killed more. That was 1989 and he is serving a life sentence for the crimes. A series of unsolved sword killings in the former Yugoslavia during their many years of civil war. It makes no sense… all these guys would be too old to do anything if they were in Italy right now, even if they were alive and not incarcerated.", a male voice says.

"Maybe you are going about it the wrong way, Hillshire.", a female voice says behind him.

"How so, Triela?", Hillshire asks.

A hand reached from around Hillshire and types into the Search Query box, entering 'Decapitation Deaths and Murders, Other'. A list of a single item comes up upon hitting the enter key.

"Category: Murders by Supernatural Means?", Hillshire asks.

"Why not. Teens today do play with that stuff.", Triela says.

"I hope you're not.", Hillshire says.

"The voodoo doll of you stays in its box as long you keep bringing me teddy bears.", Triela says 1/2 jokingly. Hillshire turns to face her, giving her a stern look. "I'm joking!", she says.

Hillshire slowly turns to face the computer screen and clicks on the single entry.

"Series of murders by young girls involving Supernatural Abilities in towns around Chernobyl…", Hillshire says. "I've heard about this one, but most believe it to be untrue."

"Click on it and find out.", Triela says.

Hillshire takes the mouse and clicks on the entry to open a new window. It opens up a file of the case description, and pictures of several young girls, all of them with horn-like protrusions just above their temples. "…'The girls ranging in age from 3 to 8 years of age were born with the horn-like protrusions which was thought to be a benign mutation from radiation from the Chernobyl Accident. As the girls matured, they developed a form of telekinetic powers of limited range and but tremendous power. Within that range, the girls used their abilities to kill the people around them, starting with their families first, then extending to family friends, extended relatives, neighbors, schoolmates, etc… by ripping apart the bodies with their abilities. All of the girls were eventually killed off by the authorities…' My god, that would have been Spetsnaz in the old Soviet Russia.", Hillshire stated.

"But, they have all been killed off. Right?", Triela says.

"According to this they were.", Hillshire stated.

"You think that one of them survived, and is in Rome?", Triela asks.

"If she did, it would make her in her late 20's, almost 30.", Hillshire stated.

Hillshire closes the window and opens the next entry, 'Diclonius & Human Mutation Research Facility- Kamakura, Japan.' The window open to a screen warning of Classified Material and Content and a Name/Password Login.

"Damn it wants a password.", Triela says.

"There are more than one way to skin a cat.", Hillshire stated. He then highlights the word 'Diclonius' and enters it to the search. Several entries come up, notably by Research Professor Arakawa of Kamakura University. He clicks on the first one.

'A mutant human sub-species with small like horns above their temples and violent telekinetic powers has been discovered. Known as Diclonius, any person showing signs of the mutation (the temple horns) have either been contained in the Diclonius research facility or exterminated. One such Diclonius named Lucy escapes from the research facility by killing several humans who guard and staff the research facility, but sustains a head injury which switches her to an infantile split personality that is clueless of the world around her.'

"I'll be damned.", Hillshire says to himself.

"What is it?", Triela asks.

"This is less than a year old.", Hillshire says.

"But it is in Japan.", Triela adds. "We do not know if this, err (reading the screen), uhm, Lucy was killed by their security forces or not!"

"Who knows. But, two for two of the same thing. And years back Japan suffered a nuclear accident of their own.", Hillshire explains.

"That does not mean a thing.", Triela says. "Supposed this Diclonius thing was killed off by Japanese security forces. We are back to Square Zero in finding our murderer… who is still out there! Super Natural Powers Be Damned…"

"I suppose you're right.", Hillshire says.

"I know I'm right.", Triela says.

"Go get the School's yearbook. Maybe we can find something in there.", Hillshire stated after a brief bit of silence. Triela goes into a bag of collected evidence, going through the items within. She comes back with the yearbook and hands it to Hillshire. He places it on the desk and goes through the pages. After a while, Jose and Henrietta arrive, looking over what Triela and Hillshire was doing.

"Any leads?" Jose asks.

"Just some wild geese.", Hillshire stated.

"Looking over the school year book?", Jose asks. "Can I ask why?"

"Just call it a hunch.", Hillshire answers.

Henrietta reaches to the book and turns the page, noting a girl in the middle of the page who was not smiling, and the only one wearing a knitted cap on her head. The name under the picture was 'Kieya.'

"She don't look too happy.", Henrietta stated.

They all look at the picture with intense scrutiny.


	8. Chapter 8

SWA: Diclonius End Game.

A Gunslinger Girl X Elfen Lied Crossover, by Elfen Magix.

* * *

Gunslinger Girl is © Yu Aida

Elfen Lied is © Lynn Okamotto

Elfen Magix is my online name since 1984 when the first BBSes and Hologate Email relays were online, long before the internet as you know it went online in 1992. It has no connection to Elfen Lied, and no, I did not lied!

* * *

Chapter 8: Cyborgs of a Lesser God

"Who am I kidding? No credit cards, no airline tickets, how am I supposed to get home without those things?", Kouta says to himself as he sat in the waiting area watching the people go by to their planes. "But maybe, just a couple of more hours I can return." Thus for him, time went by as the people did, unaware of the actual hour it was. It was already dark outside when he got onto a taxi cab and went back to the hotel room.

A door in dark hallway opens and a girl steps in through the doorway, closing the door behind her. The place she calls home remains dark and silent as she walks through the halls but not turning on the lights. In just a few steps she makes it to the kitchen, where she opens the refrigerator and takes out a small plastic vessel of juice to drink from it. Other than the bleakness of the dark, nothing says that home was out of the ordinary. The dishes, pots and pans were in their place, waiting for food to be prepare, the house was clean and well kept. But it was also quiet and alone. She puts her book bag on the table and heads to a bedroom to change into another set of clothes.

She stands in front of the full length mirror mounted on the closet door in nothing more than her bra and panties, holding on the other clothes she just had on. 'Its not that hard to remove blood from clothing…' she thought. 'Isn't it?' But no answer comes to mind. She wants to cry but cant. She feels pain and needs to react but doesn't. She is human just like everybody else, except those horns on her head which she keeps covered with her knitted cap. If she knew that she was not alone, then maybe this world would have been a better police for her to be in.

The dried blood on her skin makes her feel dirty, forcing her to take a shower. But first she had to hide her clothes from view and prepare another set to wear. Though she was alone in the house, she did not live alone. Looking at the clock on the dresser, she knew that father would return from work in another hour or more. He was the only one that she had not killed in a Diclonius rite of passage, when their vectors emerge for the first time and they start killing without realizing what they were doing was wrong. Babies are just babies, and at 3 years of age, they did not know any better. After killing her brother and then mother, father was the only one to smack the living crap out of her, stopping her from using her vectors for a long time. With the years came the understanding, and the warnings. But what a daughter does for her father is a secret they only can share. What skeletons a girl drags into her closet, is a secret that not even father would know.

After the hot shower, she readies herself for the rest of the day. But the hot shower does not hide the fading bruises, nor the healing cuts she had sustained from her encounter with JD. Once dressed in her after school clothes, she sits down at the table and starts doing her homework, a ritual she has done for as long as she remembers. She hope for him to arrive, with perhaps some take out from Luigi's, or something from grandma's. She continues homework just like any other girl would, even after the sun has began to set and the streets light up from their lamp posts. The one thing she has not noticed was how quiet the streets were that evening. Living not too far from the main avenue, there was ever presence of cars going down the street, but tonight there was none. Not even the black cat that often comes by to visit from the fire escape was around.

A knock on door throws her off her senses, she almost jumping out of her skin. She gets up and walks to the door, looking through the peep hole. A couple of gentlemen in suits and trench coats were at the door.

"Who is this?", Kieya asks.

"This is Inspector Hartmann of the Italia Police department. We would like to ask you some questions", the man closest to the door answers.

"Hartmann? That does not even sound Italian! I'm calling the real police!", Kieya shouts through the door.

Kieya takes a couple of steps through the hall to the phone on the kitchen wall. Outside in the hall, the men look to their sides at a pair of younger girls.

"This is it, Henrietta. You go first, then Triela." The other man tells her.

"Yes, Jose.", Henrietta answers.

"We just want her for questioning.", the first man says to Triela.

"We'll see how this goes.", Triela responds.

"On the count of three…", Jose started. "One… Two… Three…!"

Triela kicks in the door, Henrietta goes in running with her SiG 239 in her hands raised and ready to aim. She finds Kieya just a few meters from the door about to pick up the phone. She turns to face Henrietta, both startled and angered, she reaches out with her vectors in a single slicing motion. Henrietta's arms flip over from the weight of the firearm in her hands, then another slicing motion from Kieya's vectors take off both her legs. As Henrietta falls to the ground, Triela manages to raise her shotgun and let off a single burst. After the smoke clears from the immediate vicinity, the sound of buck shot can be heard falling to the ground. Triela leans against the wall with the rear 1/2 of her shot one in her hand pressing against the stump of her arm. The rest of her arm and shot gun was on the floor. The men run in after the first shot was fired, finding the girls in the condition they were in.

"My God…", Jose said as he knelt besides Henrietta.

"She went through the window…", Triela stated as Hillshire took care in tying up her wound. After dealing with Henrietta, Hillshire calls Ferro on the cellphone.

"Send in the medical team- stat!", Hillshire says as Ferro answers the phone.

"What happened?", Ferro asks.

"We got wounded, both severely!", Hillshire says.

In under a minute, the field medical staff arrives at the scene of the carnage. The girls, and their cut-off parts were quickly bandaged up and taken to the SWA Medical facility. Two separate teams worked on the girls, with the most attention being given to Henrietta. Hillshire and Jose waited in the overhead observation room, which looks down at the operating room from above. Jean walks in with Ferro, carrying a duffle bag and asking questions.

"What the hell happened?!!", Jean asks with anger in his voice.

"We don't know, it happened too fast…" Hillshire started to explain.

"How many shots were given before… THIS Happened?!!", Jean continues.

"The girls ran in after busting down the door, like normal procedure. Then we heard Triela take one shot with her shot gun, and that was it!", Hillshire stated.

Jean opens duffle bag and dumps out the contents of Henrietta's gun and Triela's shot gun- which was cut into two pieces just forward of the trigger. He picks up the pump and barrel section of the shotgun and shoves it to Hillshire's face.

"You did not hear anything like a chainsaw or axe hitting against metal? You are not going to tell me that you heard nothing that would make a cutting noise against steel and carbon fiber?", Jean almost yells.

"NO!", Jose yells, as the door to the room opens. Fernando walks in with Francesca in tow. All the others look at him as he closes the door. He points to the window for Francesca to look down at the operation below.

"This is a private meeting. What the fuck are you doing here?", Jean scowls at Fernando.

"I'm part of this mission, and therefore must be privy to intell you guys have- so tough cookies Jean. Chew harder.", Fernando tells him.  
"Why I ought to demote you down to sub civilian… you poor excuse of a field agent!", Jean started to say.

"I did not know that you cared so much, Jean… Now down to business. Welcome to your first loss on a fight with a thing you wont understand.", Fernando began.

"What are you talking about?", Ferro tells him.

"Exactly that. This thing you just fought is something that is capable to moving so fast that it has no physical body to slow it down.", Fernando started to explain.

"Swell… freaking Mojo Mumbo Jumbo…", Jean started to explain.

"Care to try me out?", Fernando challenges.

"Yeah right…", Jean says as he turns away to ignore him.

"The one you seek will be at the Coliseum Park now that you invaded and attacked her home.", Fernando tells him.

"And how would you know this?", Jean says.

"Where do run away teens hang out at night?", Fernando asks.

Jean nods ever so slightly.

"Go there and try to capture her, there will a higher cost to pay.", Fernando says.

"I will deal with it. Ferro, get me a single pizza van. I'm going hunting.", Jean says.

"Big mistake…", Fernando says, almost to himself.

"Go fuck yourself.", Jean says before storming out the door.

Everyone looks at the door for a moment before turning their attention to Fernando.

"What do you know of this?", Hillshire asks.

"You of us all know what attacked you. But I cant say attacked, she was defending her home. No doubt you kicked in the door and stormed in like a bunch of crazed Easter egg hunting idiots.", Fernando stated.

"You mean… the Diclonius?", Hillshire asks.

"Now that is a name I have not heard in a long time…", Fernando says.

"What do you know of them?", Jose asks, holding what shattered pieces of himself as best as possible.

"Diclonius used to be, or in this case are, a telekinetic mutant off-shoot of Homo Sapien. Just like you Homo sapiens branched of Neanderthal and were more advanced in many ways to them, they are an off shoot of you guys- Homo Sapiens.", Fernando tries to explain. "Look at what you did to Neanderthal, and see what Diclonius will do to you…"

"Uhm… 'you Homo Sapiens?' You are Homo Sapien as well.", Ferro started to state.

"In your darkest of wretchedly sick fantasies, Ferro. You all keep forgetting that I came from the Spanish Royal House where for hundreds of years, from the dark ages until Columbus found the new world, experimented with human trait breeding in search for the perfect fighting knight. I am that result, Human, just like you, but just a little bit more. So, I'm not Homo Sapien but rather Homo Sapien 2.0.", Fernando dares explain. "Now, the Diclonius as far as I remember, have been around for a while. The problem is they come in and out every generation, like a kid's jack-in-a-box, to give us a good scare. The problem is, you see the results of what even a weak one is capable of doing."

Hillshire nods.

"You actually believe in this telekinesis – telepathic – ESP bullshit?", Ferro asks.

"Believe? We're living it.", Fernando answers.

"Prove it.", Ferro challenges.

"That file on your desk. Of a Japanese girl coming here for a swap of her primitive prosthesis for more advance ones the SWA offers.", Fernando started to say.

"That's common knowledge in the medical system. Anyone could have gotten that information.", Ferro stated.

"You are still deciding on having… uhm… Yuka in becoming a handler for the girl undergoing the swap and have the girl go through the cyborg process.", Fernando tells her. "That has yet to be entered into the system, and it is something you are going on based on Gilliani and Bellisario's advice, because the girl is a diclonius like the one we are hunting."

Ferro could only give a blank stare, as if her brain just rebooted and it gave a BIOS error.

"My advice is to leave it alone. You involve Diclonius against Diclonius, more than just feelings are going to be hurt.", Fernando tells her. "In fact, I can tell you now that the next pair to go under the knife in the room below will be Rico and Jean. And if the agency continues to hunt down this girl, the price will continue to go higher."

"Then what do you suggest?", Ferro asks.

"Drop the case.", Fernando says.

"What?!!", all three yell at him.

"Hillshire, you read the reports in Japan and Russia… tell me how bloody did it get?", Fernando asks.

"The Japanese case are still classified.", Hillshire answers.

Fernando hands Hillshire his laptop, opening its case awakens it from sleep mode, revealing the Japanese case. He stares at it with his jaw dropping.

"How in hell you got this information?", Hillshire asks.

"Thanks to a case I did for them years before I came here, I have access to their network.", Fernando answers. "Now answer the question… how many were killed in this battle of Diclonius, according to what you see?"

"Hundreds… mostly military and research facility people, but it also many states police, and civilian guards were killed too.", Hillshire explains.

"Care to call SISDE, Ferro? Not even they are going to help stop this.", Fernando tells her.

"Then what do you propose?", Ferro asks.

"Drop the case… after Jean and Rico come back in pieces.", Fernando tells her.

"You will be letting her get away with murder.", Ferro says.

"How do you know it was murder?", Fernando asks.

"The number bodies and how they were cut up.", Ferro stated.

Fernando reaches into his suit pocket and pulls out a card. For a moment he looks at it, sighs and then gives it to Ferro.

"Santelli? What's this?", Ferro asks.

"Georgio Santelli. Greatest Swordsman and Olympic Class Fencing, Sabre and Epee fighter the world has seen. He was one of my marital arts mentors back in my high school years, in this case- Fencing and Sabre. He has family here, and they still teach the sword fighting arts as he did me. I was going to visit them and return to the family something he gave me.", Fernando says.

Ferro can only give a blank stare.

"Those cuts to the body, were sword fighting like in style. First a mid cut to the body then a head cut if they are still standing. Mostly defensive in nature, the Santellis can explain it better to you. Face it Ferro- 30 against 1… all who are armed and out to get you? The one you are hunting for did what you would do if you had the ability to defend yourself against a such hostile crowd.", Fernando explains.

"What about the one in the school and the priest in the confessional?", Hillshire asks.

"Interviews with the students and teachers all say that the boy first killed attacked the girl first. She snapped at that point. Seeking redemption, and getting none, she lashed out in the confessional. It just so happened that the poor priest was in the way when she lashed out. There she can plead insanity and ask for forgiveness by the courts.", Fernando explains.

"And what of Henrietta and Triela?", Jose asks.

"You attacked her in her home- self defense.", Fernando stated. "And now Jean is going to attack her while she is in the park… another call to self defense. Now when is it going to end? Then again, how many cyborgs do we have, and how much in spare parts does the agency has to repair them and send them back out? Every time you confront her, somebody is going to get hurt, die or worse."

Ferro starts to walk away from the door. "I'm going to stop Jean before he leaves.", she says.

"Too late for that, Jean has already left the building.", Fernando says as he takes a seat in the observation lounge. He crosses his arms and legs, as if anxiously waiting for something.

In the darkness of the park, Jean walks about eyeing every huddled mass beside a tree of park bench. Rico walks behind him, finding the place cold and desolate in voided emotion and hollowed sorrows. To a few under the lights of the lamp posts he shows a picture of the girl with the bright violet red hair covered by a knitted cap. Nearly all shake their heads to the picture, even with some taking a closer look and others asking for money. They continue to look until they spot one that seemed to be too clean to be part of the group. One that has bright violet red hair.

She sits on a bench under a lamp post, talking to herself.

_"Now they are after you… You must kill them if you are going to survive."_

_"No!"_

"No, what?", Jean asks as he approaches her.

"Another one of those idiot undercover police… He needs to die."

"No, nothing!", Kieya says.

"I want you to come with me peacefully, or else…", Jean started to say.

"Or Else, What? It Is You That Is Going To Die!"

"NO!", Kieya yells out. Jean gives her a stern look. He then side steps.

"Rico, get her.", Jean tells his cyborg.

"Yes sir…", Rico says as she steps towards Kieya, drawing her gun.

"How nice… Sending a little girl with a gun to do a man's job…"

Like Henrietta before, Rico's arms seem to be sliced off, though nothing can be seen cutting them. The weight of the gun from the outstretched arms starts to fall first, making the arms and hands still holding the gun tumble downward. Rico can only look in frightened awe at what just happened, ignoring all pain for the moment as her cybernetics kick in and juice her up with pain killers. Jean yells at her, "Don't Just Stan…", before Rico's torso fall off, seemingly sliding off from her still standing legs in front of him. Then Jean rises into mid air as he stares at what he can not believe on the ground below. He can not move as much as he tries to struggle.

"You want to kill me by sending a little girl to do a man's job?", Kieya says in a voice that belies her age. "It is people like you that make me sick…" Jean's body then shoots up another 40 or so feet into the air before making a sickening 'Thud' sound against the concrete covered ground seconds later. Kieya disappears before he even lands.

Section 2 Support personnel arrives at the scene within seconds of Jean's screaming voice over the VOX controlled radio. They were just 1/2 a block away in distance.

Ferro's Blackberry cellphone rings. "Yes? Oh god… Yes… They are on their way to Medical? But they are not finished with Triela and Henrietta… No… Send them here anyways. I'll alert the medical staff."

Ferro walks over to the intercom on the wall, picks it up and dials it. One of the surgeons pick up the other phone inside the operating room.

"We're extremely busy in here…", the surgeon says.

"And you work is about to be doubled. Jean and Rico were just attacked in the same fashion Henrietta and Triela was. They will be arriving in 10 minutes.", Ferro explains

"Who has the worse injuries?", the surgeon asks.

"Rico was cut up in the same way Henrietta was. But Jean was dropped from an unknown height, and has several broken bones along with other internal injuries.", Ferro explains.

"I'll get the rest of the staff to close up on these two, though we are not finished with the nervous connections- at least they are stable. We can reconnect the nerves in the morning.", the surgeon asks.

"Good.", as Ferro nods.

The surgeon hangs up the phone and picks it up again, and starts calling the rest of the staff to prepare for the emergency. Ferro hangs up the phone on her end, then turns around to face the others. Fernando opens his big mouth, "I told you so…"


	9. Chapter 9

SWA: Diclonius End Game.

A Gunslinger Girl X Elfen Lied Crossover, by Elfen Magix.

* * *

Gunslinger Girl is © Yu Aida

Elfen Lied is © Lynn Okamotto

Elfen Magix is my online name since 1984 when the first BBSes and Hologate Email relays were online, long before the internet as you know it went online in 1992. It has no connection to Elfen Lied, and no, I did not lied!

* * *

Chapter 9: A Deal With A Horned Devil.

Yuka gets up before the others to begin her day. Once showered, she walks to the phone wrapped in a robe. Picking up the phone, she calls for room service to prepare a meal for the family. After hanging up the phone, she looks at Kouta's room door, wondering if he was inside. She then walks to her room to finish getting dressed before waking the others.

For the moment, she allows Nyu to sleep, but wakes up Nana and Mayu. She sends them to the shower and to get dressed afterwards. Room service arrives as the girls put their clothes on in the privacy of their room. Yuka sets the table for the three of them. After a while, they come out fully clothed and ready for the day. Yuka tells them to take a seat and eat. She gives them the day's objective as they have their meal.

"Mayu, you stay here and take care of Nyu, and Kouta if he ever returns. Nana and I will be at the medical agency to discuss about their promise of taking care of Nana's needs.", Yuka tells them.

"Alright…", Mayu answers as she pauses from her meal.

"Nana, let me do all the talking when we get there. Whether they agree to continue to give you the services you need or not, a complaint needs to be place on those people. At least this way we can go home with our dignity.", Yuka tells her.

Nana wants to answer but has no words to say. She unpauses herself and then continues eating.

"If Kouta comes, tell him that I want him to stay right here. He and I need to have a long talk.", Yuka tells her. Mayu nods. "Room service will be back to clean up in a couple of hours, so make sure at least Nyu is fed before then. Now finish up, and wash up before we go.", Yuka adds before she gets up from her seat and heads to the bathroom for a quick moment.

_"So that is your plan?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Sounds like a Faustian Deal"_

_"Tell me Juanita, deep within your being, all the way into the pit of your soul, is this girl evil?"_

_"No. I can not."_

_"Compared to all the people we have stood up against this world, where does she stand?"_

_"No where."_

_"Because?"_

_"She is not evil."_

_"Then what is she?"_

_"Tormented… by others."_

_"Then, would this be somebody we would try to save… before she kills anymore in the sake of self defense?"_

_"Fernando?"_

_"Yes, Juanita?_

_"Don't get yourself killed for her."_

_"I don't intend to make Francesca a widow or you grieve over my grave."_

_"But how…"_

_"How am I going to stop it?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Don't know. But I have to try something._

_"Just… be careful."_

He gets up out of his chair and walks over to his closet, reaching in and pulling out the jacket to his black suit. The door to his room opens and Francesca steps into the room, dressed in a similar black dress suit and jacket combination. He walks over to her, and takes her by the hand. He leans over and gives her a long and passionate kiss, while putting his hand in her suit jacket, slowly reaching in to caress the side of her breast. She allows him to give her as much attention as he would give her, as he reaches further inside. He then slowly pulls out his hand with her SiG taken from her holster as their kiss ends. For a moment they stare at each other with sleepy eyes. He shows off her gun to her and shakes his head.

"Why?", Francesca asks.

"In the reports I have read, they have been able to swat 9mm bullets away like you would a fly. Only large heavy rounds could get past them.", Fernando explains, as he steps to his gun locker. He opens the safe and pulls out a 1911 .45ACP- Compact Agent Model, checks it out and reaches inside the safe taking a magazine from inside. The top bullet of the loaded magazine was bright sun-yellow in colour. He then takes another magazine filled with the same colour bullets and hands both gun and spare magazine to Francesca.

"Need another holster to fit that?", Fernando asks.

"It's a bit tight but it fits inside the SiG holster.", Francesca answers.

"Good. Now, those are depleted Uranium Rounds. Leon made them for me a long time ago, so shoot as a last resort. Not that the bullets are rare, but they are explosive and contaminate the area in question.", he explains.

"Then why do you have them?", she asks.

"It's the only thing that can go through most armor protection out there, and kill everyone in an enclosed vehicle with one shot, despite the mess they create.", Fernando answers. "Besides, it's a guaranteed kill when you hit the target. But because of this- you don't ever pull that out to shoot anyone unless you absolutely necessary have too. The person we are dealing with is not our target, but defend yourself if you have too. Chances are you seen and heard what happen to the others. I doubt you will be able to get off a single shot, let alone pull out your gun."

Francesca nods.

"Got anything to say before we start?", he asks.

"I love you.", she answers.

"Is that conditioning talking?", he asks.

"On the condition of being your wife, yes.", she answers.

"Francesca…", Fernando tells her sternly.

"Yes… dear?", Francesca answers.

"Mission Mode On. All defined parameters stated earlier are the norm.", he almost orders her.

For a second the pupils of her eyes dilate then return to normal. She sighs and slightly bows her head. He steps to her, putting an arm around her, and then gives her a kiss on the cheek. He picks up his glasses and cane from the top of the dresser before he puts them on.

"Lets go.", he tells her as he steps to the door, opening it. They walk out of the room, lock the door and start walking down the hall. From the far end of the hall a door opens and a young girl in her late teens comes out the room, running towards them. They meet just a few yards from the staircase, the girl hugging on Fernando.

"Daddy… why cant I go with you?", she asks.

"Rachel, I need you to take care of Juanita when she comes out of the medical ward today.", he tells her.

"But…", Rachel starts to argue.

"No Butts, girl. Read over her medical file, Dr. Bianchi will give you access to it, and you be that decisive voice for her in whether she goes back to the field or takes a few days of rest.", he tells her.

"But she wont listen…", Rachel argues.

"She will.", he tells her. "Now… get mission ready and take care of her. If she does go out on the field despite her needing to take rest, you protect her to the best of your ability. We are not out to hunt down and eliminate a target, this is only a intell gathering mission, and nothing more. Just be ready in case something stupid happens.", he explains.

Rachel wants to argue but cant.

"Look, pretty yourself up, and if goes well, you can meet up with us later. Just do as I say and protect Auntie Juanita. She is in no shape to go out, but chances are she will. You need to be there for her. OK?", he tells her.

"O… K…", Rachel answers.

He kisses her on the forehead. "Good girl. We'll see you later." She can only nod. One last hug from father, they separate and Fernando goes down the stairs with Francesca behind. Rachel leans over the banister, pointing at Francesca.

"You Better Protect My Daddy!!!", Rachel yells at her. Francesca waves her as they go out of view when they reach the first floor. They meet up with Ferro at the doors of the administrative offices.

"Good morning you two… Rare to see you up this early, Fernando.", Ferro tells her.

"I have my reasons.", Fernando tells her.

"Look, no need to tell you – Jean is in critical conduction, and we have 3 cyborgs undergoing extensive repairs…", Ferro started to tell him.

"Your mistake is attacking this poor girl. She has done nothing to become a target of elimination. She is only defending herself in the only way she knows how. The problem is, in defending herself, she is creating a trail of bodies the likes you will not ever see again outside of a future bombed airliner incident.", Fernando tells her.

"Then what are you going to do?", Ferro asks.

"Approach with caution, for one. Then see what options are available, with killing her being an absolute the last resort.", he answers.

"But…", Ferro tries to interject.

"If I fail, Ferro, its been nice knowing you. Now if you don't mind- Francesca and I are on the prowl.", he tells her.

"Good Luck then…", Ferro tells them.

Fernando and Francesca make their way to the parking area, where they get into his Porsche 928. They drive away out of the complex, passing a taxi entering the area. The taxi pulls up the entrance of the main building, where to young ladies step out of the vehicle after paying their fair. It leaves the area as soon as the door closes.

"Alright Nana, this is it.", Yuka tells her. Together they walk into the building and step up to the reception desk once inside. Yuka goes through her purse and takes out a couple of business cards, handing them to the receptionist at the desk.

"Do you have an appointment?", the receptionist asks.

"No. But they said to come by if there was a problem.", Yuka tells her.

"Err… What kind of problem is it?", the receptionist asks.

"That is a private matter between doctor and patient. Now do your job and call them.", Yuka tells her.

The receptionist takes the names from the cards to call them before handing them back to Yuka who was eagerly expecting the return of the cards. Yuka signals to Nana to take a seat in the waiting area as she heads there herself. She sits there with both her arms and legs crossed as tightly as possible. The receptionist makes a couple of phone calls as they wait.

In a few minutes, Dr. Bianchi arrives with a woman in a business suit.

"Good to see you back. This is Ferro. She is uhm…", Dr. Bianchi started to say.

"I'm the head of administration here.", Ferro says as she extends a hand. Yuka takes it to shake it. "Now, care to explain what is the problem?"

Yuka lets go of Ferro's hand as she looks around. "Don't you have an office to privately discuss such matters?"

"I do.", Ferro says. "But in a sentence, just say what it is and we can continue in my office soon enough."

"Its your staff's unfair treatment of us. She acted as if she had already decided to reject Nana's application and when I challenged her on it, she promptly ripped it.", Yuka explains.

"I see. Come… My office is in the other building.", Ferro tells her.

The two get up from their seats and fellow Ferro, with Dr. Bianchi behind them. They continue to walk through the maze of pathways that connects the buildings together. As they approach a building, they notice several young girls about Mayu's age, most with older men, but one stands out on her own as she tends to a garden on a small plot of soil near a building. For the moment they don't say anything about what is seen. Together they walk to inside one of the buildings, down the hall and into an office. Ferro signals to them to have as seat as she sits behind her desk. She starts the conversation as the others sit down.

"Now, what seems to be the problem?", Ferro asks.

"I told you about your surveyor already deciding against Nana having her advanced cybernetic prosthesis.", Yuka reminds her.

"And how do you know she was… Hmmm.. Prejudice?", Ferro asks.

"I did not like the questions she was asking and the insinuations she was making based on our answers. And when I challenged her on those insinuations, she ripped up the questionnaire sheet.", Yuka begins to explain. "She treated us like a criminal in asking very personal question not relevant to Nana's case. If you people don't want to give Nana the prosthetics, then tell us now so we can leave for home."

"Dr. Bianchi, you have anything to add to this?", Ferro asks.

"The medical staff have already agreed to freely giving the procedure.", Dr. Bianchi stated.

"On what grounds? You know that Italian Citizenry have first choice on such technology.", Ferro asks angrily.

Dr. Bianchi gets up from his seat and walks over to Nana. He takes hold of her arm, and nods at her. The arm pops off from its socket. He walks over to her desk and puts it in of her before taking his seat again.

"Well, looks like she already has a working unit.", Ferro says as she looks at the arm.

"There is nothing in that arm to make it move. No motors, no electrical components, nothing. Yet it moves.", Dr. Bianchi explains.

"How is that possible? Is it more advanced than what we have to offer?", Ferro asks. "If anything she should be going to those who made it if there was a problem with the unit."

"It's as functional as a mannequin's arm.", Dr. Bianchi tells her.

"What?", Ferro stated.

"Nana, you can take the arm back… without getting out of your seat.", Dr. Bianchi tells her.

Nana looks at Yuka for a moment seeing her nod. The arm floats off Ferro's desk and back to Nana, where it pops into place with a loud 'CLACK!' She flexes and moves it about a bit before putting it to rest. Ferro can only sit there dumbfounded with her jaw hanging open.

"Nana, take your baseball cap off.", Yuka tells her. Nana does as she is told. Ferro can see the horns sticking out of the sides of her head.

"You…", Ferro starts to say as she rolls back away from her chair, pulling out her gun and aims it to her.

"She is not the one.", Dr. Bianchi tells her.

"What do you mean she is not the one?", Ferro asks.

"She was in our medical office being examined by myself, Dr. Bellisario and Dr. Duvalier at the time of yesterday's events were happening.", Dr. Bianchi tells her. "This is Dr. Kurama's daughter. Dr. Kurama studied this mutation, they are called Diclonius. And for the most part, Diclonius are vicious murderers, I am told that she is an exception, Nana is a nice girl incapable of hurting anyone.", Dr. Bianchi explains.

Ferro puts away her gun.

"Even though Nana is a nice girl, it would take more than 100 of you to take me on.", Nana stated.

"NANA!", Yuka almost yells.

"It's the truth. People with guns think they can hurt us, but they cant because we can block the bullets from hitting us.", Nana tells her.

"I have read the reports from the Japanese Diclonius Agency regarding them. And she is right, guns can not stop a Diclonius, only another Diclonius can.", Dr. Bianchi stated to her.

"But… My god… Fernando and Francesca are out there after one of them…", Ferro started to say.

"Fernando is out there after one of them? Look at what happened to the others and Jean… He and Francesca have no hope of coming back alive!", Dr. Bianchi tells her.

"What are you talking about?", Yuka asks.

Dr. Bianchi turns to her, "This is the emergency we are dealing with; we have what we believe to be a Diclonius out there and it has started killing many people. It has already severely injured some of our operatives. So we are at our wits end about handling this… But…"

"You said that only a Diclonius can take on another Diclonius… So you want Nana to fight for you, is that it?", Yuka interrupts.

"It would be a major deciding factor in giving her the prosthetics she needs.", Dr. Bianchi tells her.

"Of all the…", Yuka started to say.

"I'LL DO IT!", Nana yells out.

"Nana!", Yuka yells back.

"I'll do it on the condition that I am not to hurt her or anyone else, but I will find her for you.", Nana explains. "It takes too much to control my arms and legs."

"Arms and legs?", Ferro asks.

"In a battle with a Diclonius named Lucy, she cut off my arms and legs. That's why I have these replacements but they require me to use my vectors to make them move.", Nana explains.

"And that is why we are here.", Yuka adds.

Ferro thinks for a moment.

"You willing to help us?", Ferro asks.

"Help you find this Diclonius… Yes. Fight her, hurt her in anyway, no.", Nana says.

"Why not?", Ferro asks.

"Nana is a good girl, and I would never think of hurting anyone. Besides, moving these arms and legs with my vectors takes too much out of me to fight. I would not be very useful in a fight.", Nana explains.

"You said that you can block bullets… can I test that?", Ferro asks.

"No!", Yuka yells.

"Its OK, Yuka. I been through this at the facility.", Nana explains as she bows her head.

Ferro takes out her blackberry and makes a call from it. "Hello Claes. Can you come over to my office right away? No need to change out of your gardening clothes, just get here right now. Yes. Thank you." Ferro then puts away her blackberry. "Understand that this is just a test, and not a deciding factor on you getting the advanced cyber prosthetics. But helping us with capturing this Diclonius and understanding what they are will be."

The door to the office opens as Claes steps into the room. She looks at Ferro as Nana and Yuka looks at her. "What's so important to take me away from my gardening?", Claes asks.

"Claes, this is Nana. She will be receiving cybernetic replacements from us soon, but there is a couple of tests we want you do to on her for us. Get up stairs and get ready to be on the firing range in 5 minutes. And bring your gun.", Ferro tells her.

"Firing range? Gun? What for?", Claes asks.

"Just do as I say…", Ferro tells her.

"Alright, I'll be there.", Claes says.

"You can tend to your garden later. Go to your room to change now.", Ferro sternly reminds her.

Claes leaves the room to go change into her normal attire. Ferro slowly gets up from her desk, and walks to the door. The others gets up and follows her.

"Why is that girl working in the garden?", Nana says, beating Yuka to the question.

"Claes is… what you are going to be after the operation to give you your new arms and legs.", Ferro explains.

"I'm going to be a gardener?", Nana asks.

"It is hard to explain, Nana.", Dr. Bianchi begins. "Claes has those new arms and legs that you want. So, she would be able to test you accordingly."

"I have to fight her for those new arms and legs she has?", Nana asks.

"You wont have to fight her, but… come. Everything will be explained along the way to the firing range.", Dr. Bianchi explains.

"First before we find our target, we need to get a few things.", Fernando as he looks down the road as he drives.

"Don't we have our guns, bullets and handcuffs?", Francesca asks.

"Not for us, but for our target.", Fernando says.

"That what I meant.", Francesca tries to explain.

"I'm taking about something for her. One back pack with a few run-away survival items.", Fernando begins to explain. "A traveling kit containing a toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, hairbrush, wash cloth, a small towel, soap, and other essential items of feminine hygiene. We can get her some bras and panties when she has accepted these from us."

"Why would you do that?", Francesca asks.

"Rachel and I did it for you. Remember?", Fernando tells her.[1]

Francesca bows her head for the moment but does not answer during the meantime.

"I will never forget that.", Francesca finally answers.

"Well then, like with my help, my daughter saved you, you will save this one.", Fernando says.

"Wait. You were the one that saved me.", Francesca stated.

"I lead a helping hand in it, but I molded Rachel's actions to save you. Just like I saved her once and told her that she is going to save somebody else to make it up to me- that somebody else was you. Now it is your turn to save somebody else to make it up to her. That somebody is our target. Now… lets see…", as Fernando explained.

"But… It was you…", Francesca tries to add in.

"Remember what I told you- do not try to mock or take advantage of my generosity. I gave to you indirectly through Rachel. I am going to give to her indirectly through you. It is still my decision to make in the end to follow this through. So you either with me on this or you can go back to your dorm room and we can discuss this later.", Fernando states in an authoritative tone.

Though the subject of the discussion is over, the planning of the mission is not, and they continue on with that branch of the conversation. So does the explanation of what is going to happen at the firing range to Nana. The three in the medical ward, along with Jean lay in a medically induced coma once they are stabilized. One by one, they are taken back to the surgical ward to be finished up on their reconstruction and repairs, reconnecting nerves that were left open to deal with Rico and Jean when they had arrived. Kouta remains in bed for the time being, not wanting to be disturbed, but knowing that he has to wake up and deal with the day eventually, but until then he sleeps. Mayu tends to Nyu in setting up breakfast for her and cleaning up the suite as best as she could. They spend the time watching cartoons on the cable TV.

Kieya sits curled up in a ball on a park bench far away from any entrance. Though the night air was not cold, she was feeling it as her thoughts and emotions run away in her head.

_"Nobody likes a freak like you. They all want you dead. But you can fight back and remake this world for yourself, and I have the power to do so…"_

_"No!"_

_"Stop denying it. Like what do you expect- a knight in shining armor to come along and save you from this plight? Don't be so stupid. Knights in shining armor are only in fairy tales, and you would be a monster they kill according to them."_

_"Its Not Fair!"_

_"Its not fair to you! Look at yourself… homeless, no friends, no school. Not even the church is willing to help you. They are after you to hurt you, to kill you. For what? You have done nothing to them. So you must strike back and kill them before they kill you!"_

_"Make It Stop…"_

_"Just do as I say and…"_

"Take my hand, Miss.", a male voice breaks her train of thought. Kieya looks up, seeing a man in his late 20's, early 30's with dark glasses and a blind man's cane, besides him a redhead woman in her early 20's. He has a back pack slung over his arm.

"But…", Kieya says to herself.

"I am not asking for you to give me anything, but I think you may need a little help from a friend.", he tells her.

"…who are you? You are nobody I know.", she tells him.

The man takes a seat on the bench, respecting the girl's space. He places the back pack between them and slides it over for her.

"We are going to have a talk. And when all is said and done, that, and everything inside the back pack is for you… to keep… no matter what you decide to do afterwards.", he tells her.

Kieya looks at the back pack with a discerning eye.

"So where shall we begin? I know who you are. I know you could get angry and slice up my body with just a thought. But that is not going to happen. I am no here to arrest you or to try to hurt you. I do know you need help, and I am here to give it.", he tells you.

"Who are you, mister?", Kieya asks.

"A friend.", he tells her.

"A friend… Then tell me why I can read your friend's mind, but I cant read yours.", Kieya says more than asks. "Every you have said has been a lie according to her."

"She is more than a friend, she is my wife. Furthermore she has been in the police agency game too long and her thoughts are also as if she was running on mission mode.", he tries to explain. "But Kieya… You need to trust somebody, if not me, then somebody else."

"How do you know my name?", Kieya says.

"Same way you cant read my mind, I can read yours.", he tells her. "Now I'm asking a small favor. I am about to release the hold that keeps you from reading my mind, so you can get to know who I am. But be warned- it is a lot of scary information locked in my head, best for you to just skim it all and just get the name rank and serial number."

Fernando relaxes and unlocks the protection of his mind on a minimal level for her to access.

"You and her each have a gun.", Kieya says.

"I actually have 2, one on each side. But I'm not going for them, not for you.", he tells her.

"Why not? I have killed your friends, have I not?", Kieya asks.

"Friends? No. The one behind me is my friend, one of a few I dare give that title too.", he explains.

"You are slowly getting on my nerves.", Kieya tells him.

"Friends usually get on each other's nerves.", he started to say. "But enough of that- About me…"

He bows his head a little releasing the blocks that forbids anyone from entering further into his mind. As the information goes through her mind, he reaches into her brain without her noticing and looks around for himself for a quick moment. He gets out as fast as he could when done.

"Fernando G. is your name…", she begins. "You work for the SWA, the same people who attacked me earlier, along with your own government agency in America who is paying you to be here. Your friend here, Francesca, is your wife, but she is a mission wife- I don't understand that, but you are also here with your god-daughter and a friend, and for the past 5 or so years, you have killed many people in order to save this country…"

"Do you accept my offer?", Fernando tells her.

"How can I trust you?", Kieya asks.

"That is on you." Fernando says as he concentrates to close his mind again.

"And what is a cyborg?", Kieya asks.

"If you read my mind, you would know what they are.", Fernando tells her. "Anyways, that is why though you have severely injured my colleagues and co-workers, you have not killed them."

_"What we did would have killed most people, have him explain what these cyborgs are and why we were not able to kill them."_

Fernando gives Kieya a stern look through his dark glasses.

"You have a second inner voice.", he tells her.

"Huh?", Keiya responds abruptly. "How did you…"

"If like you I can read minds, I can hear their inner voices as well. Most people have 1 inner voice, some have 2 or more but only listen to a main one. Your second inner voice is too loud for its own good.", Fernando started to explain. "You think you are in trouble now for all those people you have killed- you continue following that voice and you wont have much of a life to live."

_"Kill him now and we wont have to deal with this fool."_

Fernando concentrates hard, getting into Kieya's mind. Inside he sees two people- Kieya herself, as she is in the outside world including dress, and a younger self who is naked. He speaks to the second one.

_"You are the fool. People are going to go after you and kill you. This body you share will be dead and you will be silenced forever. Do you want that to happen?"_

_"How Did You Get Here?!!"_

_"This is a realm where only true telepaths know. Now as a final warning- you better start to reconsider your acts of violence upon others before they are returned to you as more harsher acts of violence."_

_Vectors seem to reach out from them to Fernando, at first sensing and feeling him, one takes a hold of his midsection._

_"Tell me, can the body live without a mind?"_

_Fernando raises a hand and points at the younger Kieya. A bright light flashes for a microsecond, and she falls to the ground._

Kieya grabs at the temples of her head and shouts in pain. "NO!" Then she calms down. She looks up at him as soon as she recomposes herself.

"She… gone…", Kieya looks at him confused.

"She is merely been put to sleep. But she will awaken in the next few hours, she wont be happy about it. You need to be stronger than she is.", Fernando tells her.

"What did you do to me?", Kieya asks.

"Acted in self defense, without trying not to hurt you.", Fernando answers.

"But it did hurt! A LOT!", Kieya says.

"You could have ended up like she did, and when you awaken you could be in an isolation chamber. But I would not do that to you, unless I am forced to do so.", Fernando tells her. "That is why you need to trust me, because there are far worse actions I can take to guarantee your capture for the government, but I want you to be free. Understand the difference."

Kieya could only look at him, and realized he is a force to be respected. He slowly reaches into his back pants pocket and pulls out his wallet. He pulls out a 20 Euro bill and reaches towards her to take it.

"Go find a public rest room to wash up in and get something to eat. We will be waiting here for you to return.", he tells her as he pushes the back pack towards her.

She continues to look at him with some semblance of fear and disbelief. Then she takes the money and runs, taking the back pack with her. Francesca walks over to him and sits next to him on the bench.

"What makes you think that she is going to come back?", Francesca asks.

"Same reason you came back when I told you to go change into a fresh set of clothes I got for you.", Fernando tells her.

* * *

Notes:

1- From the story Solution's Resolution, Chapter 48: Where is Baby Boom-Boom


	10. Chapter 10

SWA: Diclonius End Game.

A Gunslinger Girl X Elfen Lied Crossover, by Elfen Magix.

* * *

Gunslinger Girl is © Yu Aida

Elfen Lied is © Lynn Okamotto

Elfen Magix is my online name since 1984 when the first BBSes and Hologate Email relays were online, long before the internet as you know it went online in 1992. It has no connection to Elfen Lied, and no, I did not lied!

* * *

Chapter 10: Educating Claes

In the middle of field where metal targets stand on one end and open stalls on the others, the five of them stood in a circle like configuration.

"I did not know if you wanted my gun with its stock, so I brought both.", Claes said.

"With the stock, go set it up for rapid fire mode.", Ferro tells her.

Claes nods and steps away from the group, setting up her HK70 with its rear stock to give the hand gun its rapid fire mode.

"Wait a minute!", Yuka complains. "The test was to see if she can actually stop a bullet fired at her!"

"She said that she could take on 100 of us- so one cyborg armed with 1 automatic rapid fire pistol should be nothing.", Ferro argues back.

"Then I will end is now before she gets hurt!", Yuka shouts back.

"Yuka…", Nana steps in to the war of words.

Everyone turns to face Nana.

"Its OK.", Nana tells her. "I have been through worse in the facility."

"Now that is out of the way. We will start- Claes and Nana, 10 meters apart. Claes you will fire a burst at Nana. Nana, you will do what it is to show us that you can block the rounds. Then, Claes, you will close in 2 meters, repeating the procedure until you run out of bullets, you hit her or you are face to face with her.", Ferro explains. The two girls agree with a nod.

Claes walks around Nana, taking off her glasses, "So you think you can block my bullets? We will see about that."

"I will block everything you throw at me.", Nana tells her as she turns to stay facing her as she walks the distance.

"Yeah right.", as Claes looks to the adults who have stepped to the safety of the firing lanes.

Ferro gives the signal to commence the test.

Claes raises her HK70, and begins firing bursts of 3 shots at Nana, taking running steps to make this quick and easily. With the first volley of rounds miss Nana, making Claes think that her sights are off because of her lack of use and practice. But at 5 meters, she thought she had hit Nana, but she still unscathed. Anger begins to set in, she takes a running jump and stands next to Nana with the HK70 pressed to her temple.

"Lets see this miss!", Claes sneers at Nana, pressing the trigger at such a close range. The shots ring out loudly, as both Claes and Nana fall to the ground, Nana on her knees and Claes on her back with a 'What The Fuck?!!' expression on her face.

Blood can be seen running down the side of Nana's face, as she holds her hands just below her horns, crying, "It hurts! It hurts so much! Make it stop!"

Claes checks her gun as she sits up, finding that it still has at least 1 more round in it. She rearms and takes aim. Ferro yells for Claes to end the test as the adults get out of the firing lanes and towards the girls. But Claes will not be outdone, slowly squeezing the trigger until the sands of the target area explodes around her. Claes tumbles out of the area, letting her gun go as if something grabbed it from her. She lays on the ground face down, in just her socks, bra and panties; her clothes ripped from her body though she will not realize it for a while to come, only tatters of them remains on the ground where she was sitting before.

Ferro runs to Claes, taking off her jacket to cover Claes with. She can see the anger in Claes' face as she slowly got on all fours. "That's enough! Claes- Mission Mode Off!", Ferro yells as she approaches her, covering her with her jacket.

Yuka and Dr. Bianchi goes over to Nana to check on her. The bullet had only grazed her head, leaving no impact damage to her skull, just lacerated skin. Dr. Bianchi can only say to himself, "I don't believe it…" That was before Nana handed to him a handful of spent rounds, followed by Claes' gun which seemed to have floated on air on its own to Dr. Bianchi's hand.

"Are you alright?", Yuka asks Nana.

"I'm getting better, but my head still hurts.", Nana answers.

"We should get in and check you out for a concussion.", Dr. Bianchi says.

"I'll be fine. I have been shot in the head before…", Nana stated, much to the disbelief of Dr. Bianchi.

Ferro approaches the other, pushing Claes in front of her, wrapped in her suit jacket. She makes Claes kneel down then she gets on one knee herself to be equal in height with the others.

"I can see how the others lost.", Ferro stated. "We are no match with anyone who has your abilities."

"I am not that strong. Though my vectors are 5 meters long, I can not pick up anything heavy. Lucy on the other hand has short vectors- 2 meters at most, but she can pick up a tractor trailer with her vectors…", Nana started to explain.

"So shorter vectors means more strength?", Dr. Bianchi asks, interrupting Nana.

"No… each Diclonius is different. Different vector sizes, different in how strong the vectors are, and even how many vectors they seem to have. While most diclonius seem to have 4 vectors, some may only 2 vectors while one Diclonius I fought and almost lost too, had 21 vectors and a range 11 meters.", Nana explains.

"Almost lost too?", Dr. Bianchi asks.

"We Diclonius are still human, and are capable of mistakes and manipulation by emotions. In fighting her, she got distracted long enough for me take the advantage of the fight and leave without hurting her too much.", Nana answers.

"But when Diclonius fight, they fight to kill…", Dr. Bianchi started to say.

"No… There is not a whole lot of places where we can go and be liked. Many people would rather see us dead than be in some lab to be studied on. They believe that we are vermin, spreading death and disease where ever we go. So, we defend ourselves when we have too. Believe me when I tell you, if we Diclonius were to get together, and decided to kill everyone in the world to make the world a place for us, we could do so in one night. But we are humans, people, just like you. We have feelings, wants and needs. And we need you so that we could live. We are not vermin, we do not spread death and disease like some people say. We want what you want, to live and be loved by somebody who cares and to make something of our lives. At least I do, that is why I try to be a good girl.", Nana explains.

"But answer me this, Nana. Killing is a crime. If a Diclonius kills, it should be punished for doing the crime just like when one human kills another they go to jail for punishment. We have a Diclonius out there who is killing, it needs to be captured and punished according to our laws. In return for your new arms and legs, how are you going to help us capture it?", Ferro asks.

"That's not a fair question to ask!", Yuka almost yells back.

"I can only help you locate her. I can not fight her, not in this condition", Nana asks.

"What if we distract her for you, could you do something to put her down?", Ferro asks.

"No.", Nana says.

"Why not?", Ferro asks.

"To distract her, you are going to need her real mother and father. We know who our real parents are so it is not possible to send in fake parents.", Nana tries to explain.

Ferro can only stay there motionless, as if all reality had escaped her and she was not accepting what it was replaced with.

"Only can a mother or father can stir up of a Diclonius can distract them long enough for anyone to attack them successfully.", Nana explains.

Mayu goes into Nyu's room to wake her. It takes her a couple of minutes to do so, dragging her out of bed and to the dining room table where breakfast is served. For a moment they both look at Kouta's room door.

"Nyu?", Nyu asks.

"He is not in there, he did not returned last night.", Mayu answers.

"Nyu…", Nyu says to herself sadly.

"He'll be back… We have his airplane ticket and other things he needs to get on a plane to get home.", Mayu says.

For some reason Nyu gets up and trots over to Kouta's door, opening it. Mayu goes after her. "No! Don't go in there… Its not right to go into another person's room without their…" Nyu jumps on the bed as Mayu stops at the doorway, making Kouta jump out of his sleep. "Kouta?" Mayu asks. "You… were here all this time?"

Try as he might to fight off Nyu, he could not, and resigns to the fact of her holding him. At most he could do was try to answer Mayu's question. "I was. Now I wish to be left alone…"

"Uhm… there is breakfast for everyone.", Mayu says to him.

"Yuka and Nana ate?", Kouta asks.

"Yes, and they left to that hospital place to see about getting Nana her new arms and legs.", Mayu says.

"I see.", he says to himself. He then manages to push off Nyu off him. "Go eat if you haven't eaten. I'll eat after I wash up."

Nyu reluctantly gets off him and his bed, leaving the room. Mayu stays behind by the doorway.

"Kouta?", Mayu asks.

"Yes?", Kouta answers in question.

"I'm sorry for what happened yesterday.", Mayu says.

"I will forgive you with a warning.", Kouta started.

"A warning?", Mayu asks.

"Yes. Ever tempt me with your sex and body ever again, and you will find out that I am like any other man and take what it is you are offering me and even more.", Kouta tells her.

Mayu bows her head, "I understand…" She steps into the room, closing the door behind her and walks over to his bed. She sits on it and leans against Kouta. "But…", she continues, "I have so much to learn… about love and sex and men… I don't think what Yuka explained to me totally before the plane ride over here."

"What do you want explained?", Kouta asks.

"Everything.", she begins. Then she points down to his crotch, "I mean, I know that your thing down goes in me, and I mean… Uhm… "

"If you don't tempt me, I wont force you to have sex with me like that.", Kouta says.

"But why have sex?", Mayu asks.

"From my point of view, as a man, it is what we do, what we want to do to show our love for you women. It is sharing of our bodies that makes it all the more wonderful- and it starts from a simple hug or a kiss…", he started to explain.

Mayu pushes herself away from him, "NO! I Don't Want To Have Sex With You!"

"Look, Mayu. Love comes in all shapes, sizes and colors. How a man feels for his wife is not the same as he does for his daughter or his sister or his cousin. A man does not have to have sex with a woman to show that he loves her, but in showing that he cares for her by doing things like sharing his place, money and food shows that he loves her. In giving her things to make her life easier and have her part of his life shows that he cares. Like I love you enough to want to have you live in my house. But you have to give back in that love relationship, which is why I have you do chores like cooking and cleaning. You are not a burden, you are one of the few best things that has happened to me in my life.", Kouta explains.

"I am?", Mayu asks. "But what about you and Nyu, and Yuka?"

"Yuka loves me for reasons I do not know.", Kouta started. "And Nyu- I don't know. I mean… I sorry…"

"Don't be.", Mayu says.

"Look- something about sex bothers you greatly, and because of that you are scared and edgy about it. It is something you learned from somewhere."

"From my new step-father.", Mayu says quietly.

"From…?", Kouta asks but stops himself from going further.

"He forced me to have sex with him.", Mayu says. "He said that I would have to do it so how that I loved him… BUT I DON'T LOVE HIM!"

"I see…", Kouta started to say. "But… Mayu. Just like you being forced to do something you were not ready for, someone taught Nyu the same thing. But with her, she thinks its normal to be so expressive and touching and wanting all the time, and it bothers me at times. I love Nyu a whole lot, but Sex is supposed to be something to be shared, not forced upon another. That is why I am warning you. Temptation is you forcing yourself, you body, your sex on me. I am a man, and I will take to temptation as a fish to a worm on a hook. We can kiss and hug and hold, like a father would his daughter to show his love for her, but don't ever tempt me like you did before because that is when things will get ugly."

"I'm really sorry…", Mayu says.

"And I have already forgiven you.", Kouta says. "But Sex is something not everyone is comfortable with. And it is something you do not play around with. It is best that on the day you do, it would be with somebody you Love so much that you are willing to share what you have with him."

Mayu holds him tightly, trying to fight back tears that want to run down her face. "Do you love Yuka?", she then asks.

A sliver Mercedes 500SEL station wagon stops by a park entrance. Six female figures step out of if and walk to the park gateway. The smallest of the group points inside, then walks in first.

"Its been a while, maybe she is not coming back.", Francesca says.

"I gave you more time than this when it was your turn.", Fernando replies.

Francesca does not answer, for she knew he was right.

"This is a waiting game, and only the most patient of those will win this game.", Fernando says. Francesca sighs.

The group of 6 women gather about the bench where Fernando and Francesca are sitting at. The smallest of the group looks puzzled, "Uhm… I don't sense her anymore."

Fernando's face turned into a grimace. "What is going on Ferro?", he asks.

"We're looking for the Diclonius.", Ferro answers.

"And you, Claes, Priscilla, Olga and these two who I don't know are just going to bring her in like that?", Fernando asks. "Let me remind you that Jean and the others did not fair too well, and they have more field experience than you do." He begins to look at the shortest woman of the group

"We have brought back up.", Ferro stated.

"You mean this one?", Fernando points to the shortest woman. He then concentrates to get a fix on her mind and scans it. But he already knew that she was another Diclonius by the horns on her head. "You are no match for her, Nana.", he tells her.

"How…?", Nana started to say.

"And it is cruel for Ferro and the others to make you work for your cybernetic implants you need like some prize at a carnival.", he continues. He slowly gets up, sliding his blind man's cane in a arch in front of him. "Go home. All of yous, go home."

"I'm your supervisor. I decide what is done and by whom.", Ferro tells him.

Fernando continues to focus on Nana's brain. He sneaks about her mind, seeing how she concentrates to keep herself together. "Sorry Nana…", he quietly says to himself.

"Huh?", Nana returns. He disrupts her concentration for just a microscopic moment, but it was more than enough for her arms and legs to pop off their mountings, and she fall to the floor. "NO!", Nana yells.

Fernando turns to Ferro, "You are going to use her against the other?" Ferro gives him a stern look. "No… Fucking… Way.", he tells her.

For a moment there was an uncomfortable silence as Yuka helps Nana put on her arms and legs again.

"I do not dispute Nana's ability, but you would be sending a sheep out to capture a wolf with her. You, her and all to the others will be killed if you try to go after her.", Fernando tells them.

"I believe that Nana is more than capable of handling Kieya.", Ferro responds.

Nana gets up and steps over to Fernando after reassembling herself. "I am more that capable of handling myself in a fight."

"Really?", Fernando asks. Nana reaches into his head with a vector, probing his mind.

"What are you?", Nana asks.

"Diclonius are not the only one with special abilities, Nana. I am… you can say, from the other side.", Fernando tells her. "We have no name, but superstitious labels with scientific sounding words attached to them.", he continues.

He concentrates further, and stands in front of her within her mind. He takes her by the hands. She trembles slightly as he takes them.

"You do not belong here."

"How?"

"Like I said. I too have special abilities. I may not have vectors like you do, but I am capable of doing things like you can. Just in a different way than how you are used too. And I have a friend nearby who is capable of the same thing I can. Unlike the Diclonius, because we look normal, we can hide within society and be given a fair chance at life."

"But…"

"No butts Nana. We can read minds. The more powerful of us can manipulate minds. Like your vectors, we do have a range and limit of our abilities. But this does not mean that we have the right to manipulate the world to make it more accepting of us. You Diclonius do not have the right to go about killing everyone about you to make the world for you. If there was a war between you Diclonius and Us Nameless ones- Humanity will lose and the world will be thrown back to the dark ages again. You may not under stand what this means, but I can tell you that it will be a hard time for everyone involved and many innocents will die. Now, I'm telling you to walk away from this. This is not your battle, this is not your fight. And it is wrong for them to make you fight for them, because they are manipulating you to fight her."

Nana does not answer, but tries to turn away. Fernando tightens his hands on hers.

"They got you to be a blood hound- to find her for them. They have tricked you on fighting her in case she attacks first. They are pushing to have you attack her first so she can be distracted and they win so that you can get your arms and legs for your body. It is not going to work. You are going to die if you fight her. She is vicious when provoked. It is that simple. Provoke her, push her into a corner, and she will fight you to the death. You will not win this fight. Just turn around and walk "

"I can handle myself quite well in a fight…"

"Really?"

Though it seemed like several minutes passes within the telepathic realm, only just a few seconds had passed in reality. Fernando concentrates on Nana like before. And like before, her arms and legs pop off their mountings and she falls to the ground. Fernando takes a step back and sits on the bench again.

"Only way I can see her winning is if she gets her cybernetic arms and legs first, so she don't have to concentrate on keeping herself together.", Fernando points his cane at Ferro. Yuka once again helps Nana get herself together.

"What do you know about this?", Ferro asks.

"More than I will ever admit. Now, you want Nana to fight Kieya- give her the cybernetic implants first. If not, you are only sending a sheep to fight a wolf.", Fernando answers.

Ferro continues with her stern stare at him.

"But- I'm warning you- do not interfere with what I'm doing.", Fernando warns her.

"And what is it exactly that you are doing?", Ferro asks.

"Convincing our friend not to ever kill again, and perhaps the courts can go easy on her- that is if you can prosecute these murders by the means they were done in. I don't think Italian law- or any other nation's laws have something to cover this. Murder by telepathic abilities does not exist. At best you can do is fight her and kill her in the name of justice. But I'm trying to get her not to ever kill again. Do not interfere with what I have to do.", Fernando explains.

"Too much is at stake here.", Ferro says.

"7 days.", Fernando says.

"Wha…?", Ferro asks.

"7 days, to get Nana's cybernetics implanted and her to get used to them. During that time, I will do what I can. If I fail, then you can unleash this dog of war against Kieya.", he tells her.

"And if in the slim chance you succeed?", Ferro asks.

"Nana goes home with her cybernetic implants free. Kieya will not be arrested as she would be conditioned not to kill again. And I get to live another day again.", Fernando answers.

Ferro continues with the staring act on him.

"Lets go.", Ferro says as starts to walk away. Fernando and Francesca sees them walk away.

Kieya returns after several minutes had passed after the others had left. She looks better and cleaner, carrying a brown paper bag with a few items she bought from the store. She sits on the bench where she sat before, putting the back pack on her lap, opening the brown paper bag and pulls out a sandwich which she starts eating.

"How can I trust you?", Kieya asks when she swallows her second bite. "I saw you talking with the others, heard everything that was said."

"I know.", he tells her. "How did you think I kept that other Diclonius from sensing you?"

"If you did or did not is not the point. You work with them. They want to arrest or kill me.", Kieya says.

"I am not here to argue. Nor am I here to arrest you either. But you need to live a normal life somehow. I'm not offering you anything, just showing you options you should take if you want that normal life again. No longer killing is a major option to take first and that means no longer listening to that other voice telling you to do so. Understand what I am telling you?", he tells her.

"Again. How can I trust you?", she asks.

He reaches to his face and takes off his glasses from his face, reaching out to put them on hers.

"Go home. I'll be there later to make you are not disturbed.", he tells her.

Kieya looks at him, pushing his glasses down the bridge of her nose to look at him from over the rim. He takes his cell phone from his pocket, and makes a call.

"Hello, Ferro. Look- we can argue all you want later. I need you to get the police to fix Kieya's house door and to remove all that crime scene tape from the area. Yes, Its for Kieya to return home. Look, I said not to interfere with what I have to do, but you can at least help me with what needs to be done. Hang up and I will be in your office, and a lot more than a coffee cup will be shattered. Good. Nice to see you see things my way. I'll be with Kieya to make sure no funny business happens. By the way- Kieya was just a few meters away observing you when you were here with me, so she is aware of what is going on. No- I told you a long time ago that Covert operations must be done covertly. But no, you want to be Ms Supervisor of the year. Now remember what happened to Jean and the others, and that is not what I want. Lets leave it alone and let me do my job. 1/2 an hour? OK. I'll report to you later.", he says as he speaks on the phone.

Fernando then hangs up cell phone and pockets it. Kieya looks at him.

"Again. How can I trust you?", she asks.

"You don't have too if you don't want too. But it would be a first step in a long road ahead of you if you do.", Fernando tells her.

"What about the others?", Kieya tells her.

"Others?", Fernando asks.

"Friends and family of those I have killed. What if they try to mob against me to get to me like before?", Kieya asks.

"Francesca and I will be there to take care of them.", Fernando answers.

"And if you cant stop them?", Kieya asks.

"You do what you can to defend yourself. But… defending yourself does not mean killing them.", Fernando explains. "In protecting yourself, it will be enough to send them a message that you are unreachable unless you want to be reached, that you are untouchable unless you want to be touched. That should have been your first move and not going about killing others like you have had these days past.

"And what do you know about what I am going through?", Kieya asks.

"You think I have not been hunted, humiliated, assaulted?", Fernando asks. He reaches into his suit jacket packet and pulls out a small black box about the size of a cigarette pack. He flips the top open, revealing a red switch inside. "Know what this is?", he shows to her.

"What is it?", Kieya asks.

"It's a Brain Wave Scrambler, Telepath's Worst Nightmare.", Fernando begins to explain. "Then again, you were never part of the spy game, and the government was never interested in you until now. So, let me explain. This thing produces synthetic brain wave frequencies in such a way that those who can read minds become incapacitated by it. Those sensitive to the brain frequencies of others will get nasty headache. And this unit as a 1/4 mile range."

"A Brain Wave Scrambler… Ha! No such thing exist!", Kieya almost laughs

"Dare me to turn it on?", Fernando asks.

"If it is what you say it is, you would be committing suicide.", Kieya states, then challenges, "Go ahead, turn it on."

"Don't say I did not warn you…", Fernando stated as he flipped the switch to on.

The sensation of having knitting needles being shoved into one's eyes and ears was excruciating enough, but having the top of your skull's dome being blown off and the grey matter inside set ablaze in fire which can not be turned off by any means was only the beginning. Capillaries start to burst from inside the sinuses, then the inner ear and the sclera of the eyes making them red and bloodshot due to the sudden blood pressure rise. The natives have become restless as the "BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!" sound inside the head gets louder, then there is the realization that it is the heart beating that is being heard from deep within the brain. Kieya grabs the sides of her head and screams as if she was set on fire. Then she passes out. The switch is switched off, the box closed and put back into the pocket of the suit jacket. Francesca looks at Fernando with concern as he wipes his bloody nose with the sleeve of his suit jacket.

"Are you alright?", Francesca asks.

"Its nothing I have not been through before. I am going to need some rest though. The hotel room looks like a good option.", Fernando tells her. He slowly gets up, and puts Kieya over his shoulder, and takes her bags. He adjusts himself to free his arm, takes his keys out from his pocket, and tosses them at Francesca. "You're driving.", he says as he starts to walk away.

Francesca follows. The get into the Porsche, Francesca drives them away to Fernando's hotel room at the Hilton. On the way to the SWA, Nana grabs the side of her temples and starts screaming as if she was in pain, and she was. This made Ferro drive faster to the compound, only to find that once they were out of range from the park, Nana calmed down. Or was that because Fernando turned off the box to begin with. The truth will never be known.

[2 hours later]

_"Hey, Sleepy Head… wake up."_

With some difficulty, consciousness kicks in, the eyes partially open to just a bare squint and daylight rushes through the tiny opening. The head hurts greatly as the brain spews out endorphins in order to end the pain. A pair of hands cups the sides of the face, and an a pair of dark glasses are put on it.

"Do you mind…", he says outloud. The he takes the hands away from his face. "What are you doing here, Juanita?"

"Only you would try psychic suicide to take down an opponant.", Juanita tells him.

"It was not psychic suicide.", Fernando stated.

"No?", Juanita asks. Then she shows him his little black back. "Then tell me, what were you doing with this? Damn it… I have not seen this thing in years, much less felt its presence, not since high school… and you said that you destroyed it… hmmm…"

"Pieces can be found and put back together, the unit can be recreated from the shards left behind. So I hid it, sue me.", Fernando tells her.

"Well… I took the battery out so you wont press the switch again.", Juanita tells him. Then she walks over to the bed, looking over the occupant inside. "It this her?"

"It is.", Fernando answers. "Where is Francesca. As a matter of fact- you are in no condition to be here alone, so where's Rachel I have to add."

"I sent them out for a bite to bring back to eat.", Juanita explains.

"How convenient.", Fernando replies.

"You always have to think in the negative. Alright. Now that you have her, what are you going to do with her?", Juanita says then asks.

"Eventually set her free with a new life and a new place to live in.", Fernando answers.

"Eventually…", Juanita repeats.

"She needs to learn not to kill, not to be caught, not become a government tinker toy, and most of all, accept what she has.", Fernando explains.

"And how are you going to do that? Take her to the pope and have her blessed? With those horns of her on her head, she is going to cause an uprising in the Vatican the likes which has not been seen in many centuries.", Juanita tells him.

"That remains to be seen. Now just go and leave me alone on this one. Things are going to get hairy when all is said and done.", he tells her.

"Listen Fernando… My concerns are for you because you may have bitten more than you can chew. The SWA is not going to let what happened slide by like you think they are.", Juanita says.

"If she goes to jail, she goes to trail. If she goes to trial, I would want them to explain to the court that she managed to do all these things without physically touching them. If the courts here are anything like the courts at home, they are not going to buy the fact that she killed people with her mind, that she reached out and slaughtered people with just a thought. In the eyes of the court, such a thing is not possible and they will not be able to convict her. Period. As for their well being, this is a person that is to be left alone, unless they want to lose another set of cyborgs.", Fernando started.

"You could end up losing Francesca and Rachel due to her.", Juanita interrupts.

"That's my risk to take.", Fernando says.

For a moment the two did not speak. Fernando gets up from the seat and approaches the bed where Kieya laid.

"You in love with her?", Juanita asks.

"Be serious. She 10 years younger than I am for one.", Fernando answers.

"Love thy neighbor as one loves thy self.", Juanita stated.

"They don't necessarily have to love you back.", Fernando added. "But if you really want to know, I think there is some hope for her. And I'm willing to bet it all on her."

"And if you lose?", Juanita asks.

"Francisco's Funeral Home back in New York has my coffin in storage along with instructions to put me into the family gravesite. All I ask is that she gets a proper burial too.", Fernando answers.

"I am not going to let you get killed for anyone on a stupid mission.", Juanita responds.

"We could be killed crossing the street. It's a chance in life we take everyday and yet we continue with life another day. So. Its my risk to take. You do me a favor and walk away from all this before you get hurt.", Fernando tells her, almost demanding.

"Its too late for that. I am already too involved with you.", Juanita reminds him.

Fernando does not answer her though as much as he may want too. Kieya stirs from the bed., getting their attention. Fernando puts out a hand to keep Juanita from getting closer. Kieya reaches to her head and feels the side of her temple for a second before slowly opening her eyes. She looks at Fernando and then at Juanita before him. Then she looks about the rest of the room.

"Where am I?", Kieya asks.

"In a rented room in the Roma Hilton Hotel.", Fernando answers.

"Why?", Kieya asks.

"Because you passed out.", Fernando answers.

"Uhm…", Kieya started as she sat up. Except for her shoes, she notices that she was still fully dressed under the bed's blanket. "It was you… You did something to make me pass out!"

Fernando quickly concentrates on Kieya's mind, keeping her from activating her vectors. Her eyes open wide in disbelief that her vectors had not lashed out as she wanted them too.

"With my ability I read and act upon any thought you may have before you have a chance to act upon them. Again I am here not to hurt you, but I will defend myself accordingly. Believe me when I say I don't want to hurt you.", Fernando tells her.

"Then prove it.", Kieya challenges.

"The proof is in the trust.", Fernando tells her. He then relaxes on his concentration and frees Kieya's ability.

Kieya reaches out with a vector, taking Fernando's glasses off his face. He reaches out with his hand and grabs them, having a slight tug of war with her for them.

"I do need the glasses. The light hurts my eyes if I don't wear them.", Fernando tells her. Kieya releases his glasses from her vector. "Thank you", as he puts them back on.

"Who is she?", Kieya then asks.

Fernando turns to face Juanita for a moment, then back to Kieya. "That is Juanita, a life long friend of mine.", he answers her.

"She is…that other person…", Keiya started to say.

"Huh? What do you mean by that?", Fernando asks.

A vector reaches out from Kieya and into Juanita's forehead. "Yes… she is the one. But how is this possible?"

"Explain.", Fernando stated.

"When you were with me in that private realm of the mind, I sensed that though you were alone, you shared a presence with somebody else. I thought you had a twin, but it is obvious that she is not your twin.", Kieya says, before removing the vector hand from Juanita's head. "You two are one."

"We are separate in mind,. body and spirit.", Fernando tries to explain.

"Oh hush up. She knows about us.", Juanita says. "Look, for what ever reason, he and I have the same pattern of presence and mind even though we are not twins or are even related. It may look like we are one but we are not, we only seem to be that way. Because of that, there is no secrets between us, though try as he might to hide his from me. Now, my name is…"

"I already know your name. I'm sure he told you mine.", Kieya tells her.

"No he hasn't, but I already know it because you are know in the agency as a very dangerous person.", Juanita tells her.

"Lets leave it at that,. Juanita. Lets not get her worked up over nothing.", Fernando tells her.

"Worked up over nothing?", Kieya asks, trying to keep her calm.

"So far, if they agreed to it, they will leave you alone for 7 days. But in that 7 days, they will be preparing another Diclonius to capture you, and if it has too, fight you. That I don't want.", Fernando says.

"Then what do you propose.", Juanita asks.

"Like I said to you before- Keiya has to learn to stop killing people around her. She has to prove herself to be a non-existing threat. She has to disappear from sight as far as society is concerned and start life again elsewhere.", Fernando explains.

"I'm tired of moving. I'm tired of having to rebuild my life everything I had to defend myself from some assholes who thought they could try to hurt me.", Kieya says.

"7 Days, Kieya.", Fernando tells her. "7 Days to think things out. 7 Days to build friendships and begin life long relationships. I'm not asking for much, just trust and a bit of work on your part. If not, it could mean your death in the end when these 7 days are gone."

Kieya puts her face into her hands and shakes her head.

A knock on the door disrupts the quiet of the room. It then opens by itself, with Francesca and Rachel entering. Rachel closes and locks the door behind them.

"Food's here…", Rachel says as she approaches the bed. "Oh… she's awake?", as she approaches her bed.

Fernando goes back to his seat. "Go feed everybody. I'm going to take a nap, so keep things quiet.", he tells them.

"You OK daddy?", Rachel asks.

"I'll be fine after a nap.", he reassures her.

Fernando sits back and closes his eyes. Rachel takes the bags and tears them open at the foot of the bed, revealing wrapped sandwiches and canned sodas. The girls begin to eat, including Kieya, thought reluctantly does so.

"Do you love Yuka?", Mayu asks. Kouta could only give her a blank stare as he thought for an answer.

"Don't be silly. Of course I love her. She is my cousin.", Kouta answers.

"Do you love her to share sex with her? To have her as your wife?", Mayu asks.

Kouta does not know how to answer and for the moment remains silent while lost in his thoughts. Nyu opens the door, finding the two of them in a soft embrace, and decides to join in the fun, though at everyone elses expense. "Nyu!", she yells as she pounces onto the bed and on top of them.


	11. Chapter 11

SWA: Diclonius End Game.

A Gunslinger Girl X Elfen Lied Crossover, by Elfen Magix.

* * *

Gunslinger Girl is © Yu Aida

Elfen Lied is © Lynn Okamotto

* * *

Chapter 11: All Alone.

With a quick conference call with Dr. Bianchi and the medical teams, Ferro drives the silver Mercedes Station wagon through the compound and into the rear of the medical facility. A team was already waiting for their return. Ferro speaks to Yuka and Nana without taking her eyes off the road.

"I will agree to his terms, but on the notion that Nana has to fight Kieya for us, take her down, and kill her if possible.", Ferro stated

"I am not going to kill anyone.", Nana refuted.

"I have to agree. Killing anyone was not part of the agreement.", Yuka added.

The car comes to a halt, and the electronic doors unlock. Ferro gives the signal for Priscilla and Olga to step out. The medical staff rolls a gurney to the side of the Mercedes, with Dr. Bianchi in the lead of it.

"Normally I would refuse such a request, especially one that is given on such short notice…", Dr. Bianchi started to explain as Ferro steps out of the car. "Now tell me why we must go through this… today?!!"

"Even though as we seen her go against Claes, Nana is more that capable of taking down any of our cyborgs, she is not able to take down one of her own if she has to constantly concentrate on keeping herself together. We need her to be field ready as soon as possible…", Ferro explains her answer to him as she opens the rear door for Nana and Yuka. "That is… if we can get past a sticky point here."

"What sticky point is that?", Dr. Bianchi asks.

"Nana is not willing to kill if she has too.", Ferro asks.

"Now wait a minute…", Yuka interrupts her. "Nana is not going to outright kill anyone, especially as a trade for her new arms and legs."

"Who said it was a trade? Nor did anyone said that Nana has to outright kill anyone.", Dr. Bianchi stated. "But in the expense in giving her the advanced cybernetic prosthesis and training she is going to need to use them, all we are asking is for the debt to be paid off by doing a job for us in dealing with another Diclonius which we have no experience in dealing with. The operation itself- lasting 16 or more hours is going to cost over 1,750,000 Euros, because she will have the leading experts in the field working on permanently attaching her arms and legs to her body; as far as she is concerned it would be as if her arms and legs never left her body. Then consider that the cost of her new arms and legs will be over 1.95 million Euros a piece, and she needs a complete set of 4! Plus she has rehab and conditioning drug analysis so she can make her new arms and legs work like before and even better than before. Are you going to pay us close to 10 million Euros on Nana?"

"If I had the money, I would…", Yuka says.

"But you don't.", Ferro interceded. "And in return for this favor, all we ask is help in our case. A case that involves one of her own kind who has began to murder people in cold blood because she wants too. That help would require her to fight her and even possibly kill her- in self defense."

Neither Yuka nor Nana answers.

"The choice is yours, Nana. Either you get on this gurney now, go through the operations and procedures to get your new arms and legs and then help us fight and catch an evil Diclonius, dead or alive; or go home, back to Japan… Right Now.", Ferro tells her. "Either choice will make you a good girl, but only one will make you an even better one. But you have to decide now."

Nana turns to Yuka for an answer, only finding that she was lost for words herself.

The slight snoring in the background says that Fernando had fell asleep in his chair. Kieya slowly gets up from the bed and puts on her shoes.

"Where are you going?", Juanita asks.

"Where does it look like I'm going?", Kieya snidely remarks as she walks to the bathroom door. The door closes behind her, and the lock can be heard being engaged.

"What a little bitch…", Rachel says to herself but deliberately enough to be heard by the others.

"Let's not go there…", Juanita stated to Rachel. "We all have issues and problems of our own to deal with. She needs our help with hers."

"Then maybe she should understand that because we are all she has from being hunted down and killed like some rabid dog in the streets.", Rachel says out loud to be heard. "Who the fuck she thinks she is…"

"That's enough Rachel.", Juanita tells her. Rachel refrains from adding to the discussion. "Now, I'm not sure what you father has in mind, but I'm willing to back him up on it, and we need to work as a team and as a group. It's us against them and we are trying to help somebody who may not want to be helped. But this is for a justifiable and worthy cause."

"But like so many, we offer them help and they do not want it.", Francesca started.

"Not you too.", Juanita comments.

"Years ago when I met up with Fernando and Rachel, all I wanted was some money to buy some food, not a second chance in life. And when I was told to walk away to fix myself up in some public bathroom, I was tempted in walking away and not returning back.", Francesca added.

"But you did. Why?", Juanita says and then asks.

"I do not know. At the time it was all I could do given the options.", Francesca answers.

The door to the bathroom opens and Kieya steps out. She gives Francesca a good long stare.

"You lived in the streets?", Kieya asks.

"For most of my life…", Francesca answers.

Kieya concentrates a tiny bit, extending a vector into Francesca's forehead. She then starts to slowly walk to Francesca as she goes through what memories lay intact inside her head. Then she slowly withdraws the vector.

"You… you are 1/2 machine.", Kieya says.

"Like No Duh!", Rachel says out loud.

"Both her and Rachel are cyborgs. Living, breathing beings with added artificial constructs to their bodies to keep them alive.", Juanita explained.

"This makes no sense…", Kieya explains.

"Francesca does not remember much of anything before her life in the streets of Rome. But Rachel has her memories intact…", Juanita explains.

"Oh no… I don't want her hop scotching about the inside of my brains!", Rachel yells back.

"Allow her to do so…", Juanita tells her.

"No!", Rachel responds to her, but was distracted enough for Kieya to slip one of her vectors into her forehead. After a couple of seconds, she removes it.

"They killed you and then brought you back as a cyborg…?", Kieya asks. Rachel was not too happy about the prospect of having her mind read. Thus she does not answer.

"She was.", Juanita tells her.

"Thanks for nothing…", Rachel says out loud.

"Consider that out there is an army of young girls and ladies, all waiting to be in line for a chance to get to you. And with the fall of each one, that much more is learned about you so that the next one will be that much more successful until the last one finally puts a bullet into your head and has you pushing up daisies.", Juanita tells Kieya.

"In her case, she will be cut up and dissected, placed into jars of preservatives on some lab shelf to studied for generations to come.", Francesca adds.

"Those are some big words to be said by an airhead!", Rachel blurts out.

"I may have my issues in being an airhead, but I am far more intelligent than I let others to believe.", Francesca adds.

"The choice is yours, Kieya. Live in the streets of Rome and be hunted down like some rabid dog, or allow us to help you.", Juanita asks, trying to change the subject. "It's your choice to make, and not one to be made lightly. In the least, 7 Days is all you have."

Kieya does not answer. Francesca gets up and gathers her things.

"Cyborg or not, I'm going to need to get some pads…", Francesca says.

"Come Rachel. We have some shopping to do.", Juanita tells her.

"I'm not leaving her alone with my father!", Rachel complains.

Juanita looks at Kieya and Fernando before turning back to Rachel.

"Your father told me to trust him.", Juanita started saying. "Leaving him with her is part of that trust."

"What if she walks away?", Rachel asks.

"Then she gets hunted down and killed like a rabid dog by the others.", Juanita answers.

"Why are you so willing to give so much of yourselves for me? I am nobody to you.", Kieya asks.

Juanita points her finger at Fernando as she uses her other arm to push Rachel towards the door. "He has the answer you seek.", she tells Kieya. "In what time you have while we are out, you can find out those answers by asking him when he awakens."

As Kieya turns to look over towards Fernando, Juanita shoves Rachel behind Francesca who was already leaving through the door. Juanita then follows them, with a loud slam of the door. Kieya turns to look at the now closed door, and then back at Fernando. She does not notice that his snoring had stopped for quite a while. She goes to the bed which she got out of and sits on its edge.

"You other self says that you have the answers, yet while she did not. If you two share everything, then she should have.", Kieya says. "Somebody is not telling the truth."

"You would not know what the truth was if it jumped you from behind and started humping on your ass.", Fernando said silently, but loud enough to be heard.

"Huh?", Kieya quickly turns to face him. "You're awake!"

Fernando stretches for a bit, yawning in his chair. "So I am…", he says as he stops stretching.

"What was that you said about the truth?", Kieya stated in question.

"I said, 'You would not know what the truth was if it jumped you from behind and started humping on your ass.' Got a problem with the answer?", He responds.

"I got a problem with people lying to me.", Kieya stated.

"Have I lied to you?", Fernando asks.

Kieya hesitates to answer.

"Not yet.", Kieya answers.

"And as long as you follow my instructions, I wont.", Fernando tells her.

"Suppose I don't want to follow your instructions.", Kieya asks.

"That's on you to do as you want. But what options you take determines on that happens to you. Not following my instructions and walking out on your own will mean that the government agencies out there will be out there hunting you down. And to tell you the truth- the people you have hurt, are very vindictive and revenge driven. In short, I have to protect you from them for the interim.", Fernando explains.

"I can defend myself, especially now that I now know what cyborgs are.", Kieya returns.

"Cyborgs can be rebuilt, you cant. Eventually you will tire out and they will kill you when it happens.", Fernando tells her.

"What do you know what I can or can not do.", Kieya almost demands an answer.

"What I do know that thought it took generations to accomplish the task, the answer lies in what Mankind as we know it did when it met up with the last Neanderthal. Neanderthal Man lasted for over 500,000 years, and dies out very quickly when the first men that we become first appeared on Earth. Now… 150,000 years of human kind later, here we are- a Diclonius and a Telepath, separate from humanity as a Weiner Dog is separate from the Wolf. We share many things with them. We may agree on ideas and culture. We are part of what they are. But they are destroyers of what differs from their own kind. Understand that, and understand that you are different from what they are. You are now a target in their eyes because you are different.", Fernando explains.

"I can make a world of my own.", Kieya explains.

"If you start by killing- it will take you a hundred years to clean up an area big enough for you to consider being in peace. You would have to kill a billion people before you could be left alone. 100 years is a luxury of time you do not have.", Fernando answers back.

"I can get others like me to help me in this.", Kieya says. "Like that girl those people you spoke too brought over."

"Like what can you say that would have her switch sides? What do you have to offer her?", Fernando asks. "They have already about to give her what she wants, and what you can not give. In short, they have already bought her onto their side and there is nothing you can do about it. Furthermore, they are going to use her against you."

"YOU LIE!", Kieya shots back.

"I have not lied to you yet.", Fernando tells her.

"I Don't Believe You!", Kieya again shouts back.

"You don't have to believe me.", Fernando tells her some more.

"Why Am I Even Here?!!", Kieya says out loud as she gets out of bed and towards a window. "In Fact, Where The Fuck Are We?!!", she asks. Her answer is given to her as she looks out the parted curtains, some 20 floors above the Roma Hilton Plaza with a grand view of it all. "We still in Rome?"

"Where would I take you? To some burnt out building in Newark, New Jersey?", Fernando asks.

"Newark?", Kieya asks as she slowly turns around.

"It's a city in the USA, Not far from New York City, where we are from.", Fernando explains.

She looks at him with a dumb look.

"Look, if you want to walk out of here. By all means, be my guess. I don't help those who wont help themselves. I find it to be a big waste of important resources.", Fernando says to her.

She continues to look at him, unsure how to answer.

"You should not be intimidated by me. You are the homicidal telekinetic, possessing those dangerous vectors of yours. You could slice my head off before I have time to react…", Fernando started to say.

"YOU'RE RIGHT!", Kieya shout out, unleashing her vectors at him. But they stop 1/2 way to them. She looks at him unsure of what is happening. But inside her mind is her answer.

In the telepathic realm he stands in front of her, his hand places inside her forehead like one of her vectors.

_ "You forget, as a telepath I can act upon your attack strategies before you finish calculating the odds of winning. I can also alter your thoughts and actions, stopping you from doing harm to me. If need be, I will reprogram your thoughts and mind to never unleash your vectors out to harm anyone ever again."_

_ "Why don't you?"_

_ "Because it would be cruel. Like owning a cat, declawing it and then setting it to be stray; without its natural defenses and hunting tools, it would die."_

_ [No answer is given]_

_ "Want to be declawed and then set a stray?"_

_ "No…"_

_ "You are unique, even among Diclonius. I can not think of doing that to such a unique thing like you. It would be unfair to you." _

_ "Uhm…"_

_ "I'm not here to reprogram you or force you into actions you would not take yourself on your own. But if you take actions against me, my friends, colleagues or innocents, I will do what will have to be done."_

_ "You think you are enough to stop us?"_

_ "Oh, so you finally awaken. My warning with you still stands: reconsider your acts of violence upon others before they are returned to you as more harsher acts of violence, and you will no longer have a body to live in."_

_ "But in your mind, I see, 'Look at what you did to Neanderthal, and see what Diclonius will do to you…' You know why we are here and what we must do."_

_ "The extinction of Homo-Neanderthal took thousands of years, not within a decade as you Diclonius plan. In fact, if you kill off humanity in such a short time, you will not have the support system that they have created. Food will run out. Medicines will disappear. Disease will run rampant. The Diclonius will die out soon after humanity dies if it does not learn how to use the technologies left behind in the wake. Then you fail as a species… only lasting less than 50 some years at best."_

_ [No answer is given for a while]_

_ "Interesting Logic, it supercedes Biological Logic and its Demands."_

_ "Biological Logic is only to survive long enough to reproduce often and raise the young into adult. The Demands are the responsibilities of doing a proper job so that next generation is as successful as you were."_

_ "I can implant the Diclonius Genetic Code into you…"_

_ "Telepaths are immune from your genetic manipulation, our DNA are too stable to be modified, like a shark's DNA."_

_ "Immune from manipulation? How is that possible?!"_

_ "You Diclonius have been around for centuries, but your DNA is still unstable. Telepath DNA has been around for a lot longer and has stabilized a long time ago."_

_ "Sta… Bil… Ized DNA?…*"_

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!!", Fernando yells as he pushes Kieya off him from his turned over chair.

"Stable DNA…", Kieya looks at him with a hungry look in her eye.

"Wait a minute! Just because Telepaths have Stabilized DNA, does not mean that its right! We do have issues with our biological makeup!", Fernando almost yells at her.

"Like?", Kieya asks.

"Schizophrenia, 6 fingers and a tail!", Fernando says to her loudly.

"You look fine to me- sound mind, 5 fingers and all…", Kieya says to him.

Fernando manages to push her off, "My father was the last 6 fingers and tail bearer, but I am a dormant genetic carrier to those traits. Look- as her other self, the voice of her DNA- understand that the genes of a telepath and the genes of a diclonius can never mix!"

"Why is that?", Kieya asks.

"The baby might come out deformed, or not survive being born.", Fernando explains.

"Or they might create a Super Diclonius Child.", Kieya says.

"Are you willing to give up your life and virginity for 20 minutes of fun and 20 years of responsibilities?", Fernando asks.

"Will you? Then again, you are raising that girl to be your daughter, and though you are recently married to that other one, you were married to one before… so did you ever have a child with her… or anyone else?", Kieya dare asks.

"That is not of any of your concern. But you would know better by knowing that the answer is no as far as I know.", Fernando answers as he gets up before righting his chair.

"So you have not yet propagated your own DNA as of yet.", Kieya says.

"By choice.", Fernando tells her.

"What a waste.", Kieya tells him.

"I'm not ready to raise a child of my own.", Fernando says walking to the window and opening it. Through his dark glasses, he looks out to the sky and the bright sun up above it.

"You are wasting your time and efforts on that other one.", Kieya says.

"A parent is one who steps up to the challenge of raising a child whether that child be theirs or someone else's entrusted to them. Rachel was entrusted to met to be my daughter, and I entrusted to be her father. And that is where is all ends.", Fernando tells her.

"So this is all you are ever going to be.", Kieya says.

"I have many more years ahead of me. I can add to whatever you think my final totality is. Maybe one day I will be a father, but you wont be the mother. You on the other hand…", Fernando tells her.

"What about me?", Kieya asks.

"You continue to go about killing others, innocents or not, they will come back to kill you. You will eventually tire out, and they will succeed in terminating your life. Now what kind of life is that for a child? Or if you are pregnant, both you and the child dies. You tell me- with Bio-Genetic programming logic running- would you have succeeded fulfilling your DNA's destiny?", Fernando tells her.

Kieya does not answer.

"Then the answer is clear. Stop killing others- humans, telepaths, Diclonius, whatever they may be. Maybe with the damage done thus far, things can be fixed to your favor.", Fernando explains.

"You make it sound so easy.", Kieya responds.

"Its easy to be hard, Kieya. Easy to be cold. Easy to just walk away from all this, say its not worth it, and let you be abandoned to your demise by others. What I am doing is not easy.", Fernando replies.

The bright light is almost blinding. But that is what a surgical bay needs.

"Nana, I'm going to put this mask on you, and you count to 10 slowly. When you wake up, you will have a whole new body…", one of the men in masks looks over her, putting a plastic mask over her face. "Start counting."

"1… 2… 3…", Nana started. "4… … 5… … … 5…" her eyes slowly closes and her counting stops.

"You know giving parts to this one limits what we have in terms of replacement parts for the others.", one of the surgeons says.

"So, we make more.", another says.

"Its not like we can accelerate the process. Synthetic muscle with optimum strength takes time to create. Accelerate that process, you get weaker muscle.", the first continues.

"Look, we have to make do with what little we got. We make this one, and send her out into the battle field as soon as she is completed to take on that monster. Then we can take our time in repairing the others.", another says.

Surgery only takes 12 hours to complete. New arms and legs attached to the host's body, with some strengthening augmentation of the nearest natural joints- the hips and shoulders. Neural connections are set into place and tested. Nothing else was added to the procedure. Another 2 days would pass for Nana to be able to have complete control of her body once again.


	12. Chapter 12

SWA: Diclonius End Game.

A Gunslinger Girl X Elfen Lied Crossover, by Elfen Magix.

* * *

Gunslinger Girl is © Yu Aida

Elfen Lied is © Lynn Okamotto

* * *

I would like to thank Boomer Gonzales for his help against Writer's Block, the scourge and dreaded disease of writers everywhere!

* * *

Chapter 12: 3 Days Later; A Talk Among Telepaths

Nana wakes up from her bed, staring at the ceiling for a moment. She feels odd in an unexplainable way. She raises her right hand above her face and looks at it. Then she realizes that she has not used her vectors to move it, but rather it is moving on its own, as she can feel the sensations going through its skin registering into her brain. Though it was a bit dulled and off, she was still feeling it as she was able to move it on her own. She then raises her other hand and feels her arm with it. Where her old arm was connected to her body, there was a definite indentation, here there was none. It was as if it was really part of her body, and best of all, it did not pop off!

She sits up, throwing the blanket off herself and looks at her naked body, at her legs. Her toes wiggled on command, ankles rotated and knees bend at will. She curled up into a sitting ball, holding herself in a tight embrace, with a happy tear running down her face, for Nana was whole again.

Dr. Bianchi and Ferro walks into the room and towards Nana's bed where they stood.

"Everything OK?", Dr. Bianchi asks.

Nana slowly lets herself go, turning and kneeling on the bed towards them, needing to take hold of the bed rail on the side of the bed. She can only nod with a smile.

Ferro leans towards Dr. Bianchi, whispering, "She has no sense of modesty…"

"If you were raised naked in a lab chained to a wall as a test subject, you would have no modesty too.", Dr. Bianchi whispers at Ferro as he takes her a couple of steps away from Nana's bed.

"I see…", Ferro responds in a whisper before returning to Nana's bed side. She places a package on the bed next to Nana.

"What is this?", Nana asks.

"While you were recovering from the operation by sleeping these past couple of days, we took your clothes and washed them for you. Open the package and put them on.", Ferro explains.

Unsure what to do, Nana slowly takes the package and opens it by ripping the paper exterior.

"Nana. Be honest with me; is everything alright?", Dr. Bianchi asks.

"Uhm…", as she spreads out the contents of her clothes on the bed. "Everything is… fine!"

"No numbness or tingling?", Dr. Bianchi asks.

"Uhm… Well.", Nana started to say.

"Yes?", Dr. Bianchi asks.

"It feels like I'm touching everything through really thick gloves.", Nana explains.

"Not a problem, Nana. We just have to get you into the lab and adjust your cybernetic inputs to get them calibrated properly. Every cyborg goes through this.", Dr. Bianchi explains. He then turns to the night table, filling a glass of water and hands it to her, along with a pill he took out of his pocket from a small bottle inside. "Take this. You will be needing to take at least 1 of these pills a day for the rest of your life now."

Nana takes the pill and the glass of water. She swallows the pill, following it with a chase of water from the glass. She then hands the glass back to Dr. Bianchi.

"Get dressed, Nana. You got a long day ahead of you today.", Ferro tells her.

"Will Yuka be seeing me today?", Nana asks.

"I do not know. But you will be with Dr. Bianchi, making adjustments to your new arms and legs. Then I'll be seeing you on testing them.", Ferro answers.

"Oh… When can Yuka come see Nana?", Nana asks.

"After everything is done first. Maybe tomorrow.", Ferro answers.

Nana looks at the large mirror at the end of the room, looking at it, at herself and everything about it.

"Satisfied with the results?", Dr. Guilliani asks, as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a sealed packet of pills, giving it to the woman next to him.

"She's moving the arms and legs like we do our own?", Yuka asks as she slowly takes the pills as they look out through the two way mirror.

"Yes she is.", Dr. Guilliani answers. "Now, Yuka. She will be needing to take a pill a day. It is to condition her to the cybernetics she has."

"I see.", Yuka says as she looks at the package of pills, noting that there was only 75 in the package. "Uhm… how can I get more for her?"

"Bring her here, so we can exam her and make any adjustments to her medication and refill the prescription at the same time. In time, she will no longer need to take the pills, but that is not for several years from now.", Dr. Guilliani explains.

"Uhm…", Yuka started to say.

"Don't worry about most of your expenses. At most you just have to figure out how to get her here. Everything else will be paid for her. Besides, though it is just for a couple of days, we can arrange a medical flight for her, slashing travel costs for you.", Dr. Guilliani explains.

"I see…", Yuka replies.

"Now, as Dr. Bianchi explained, Nana needs to go through a few adjustments and testing, but she will be fine when we allow her to walk out of here on her own.", Dr. Guilliani explains. "There is not much you can do here. Go to your hotel room and enjoy the day like tourists." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a set of movie tickets, handing them to her. "Here, this should kill a couple of hours for you."

"Uhm… thanks.", Yuka says.

Yuka remains looking at Nana for the moment as she puts on her clothes, and then gets off the bed, walking to a wheelchair and being rolled away out of the room. For a moment, she smiles an uncertain smile before leaving the room and heading home to her hotel room.

"If you were but a sparrow in the limbs of a great oak tree, what would be the issues of your life?", the question was asked by Fernando.

"A sparrow?", Keiya answers with a question.

"Oooo… that's so simple!", Rachel shouts out!

"Calm down, Rachel. I know I taught you all this, but Kieya is new to this kind of thinking.", Fernando tells her sternly.

"What do birds have to worry about?", Kieya asks. "Nothing!"

"Put yourself in the mind of a bird.", Fernando starts to explain. "The days will be filled with singing for your mate, keeping your nest clean, feeding the chicks if you have any, and so on. The worries of the world of man are not yours to behold nor are the politics thereof to bother you into illness."

"Eh?", Kieya says.

"Not many people can think like you can, Fernando.", Juanita says.

"She has too.", Fernando says.

"And why should I?", Kieya stated.

"To gain a better insight on life and its goals.", Fernando tells her.

"I already have my life planned out.", Kieya says.

"Then what are you going to do, where are you going to be in 5 years?", Fernando asks.

Kieya thinks for a moment, but it was a moment too long.

"Then you don't know and you do not know where are you going to be in 5 years, even if you survive that long!", Fernando points out at her.

"What do you know- old man!", Kieya shouts back at him.

"He's not an old man!", Rachel yells back at her.

Kieya turns around to Rachel, about to unleash a vector at her but Fernando was already in her mind before she could release it, stopping it. With a psychic hand pressed upon her mental forehead, he speaks to her from within.

_"You need to stop being reactive and start being proactive."_

_"How the hell do you do that…!"_

_"I told you that as a telepath, we can out-think anyone in making decisions and taking actions. As such, I can stop you from releasing your vectors at anyone, especially those I care about like my daughter."_

_"She is not your daughter."_

_"Again, by blood no. But by relationship, yes. I took care of her, raised her up, she is me in what I put into her, taught her right from wrong, and she is what I made her out to be."_

_"But she is a cyborg."_

_"I took her out of her programming years ago. Everything besides the mechanicals that is there is truly her. Now relax and withdraw that vector. If it comes out lashing at somebody, anybody, consider your brain fried with a side order of toast."_

Like in real space, Kieya can only stare at him cold before withdrawing her vector slowly.

_"Good girl."_

Between the two of them reality slowly fades in. Juanita turns to Fernando for a moment and nods.

"You need to learn that a person is more than the sum of their parts. That is why people are hunting you down because they see you as a demon-spawn Hellion bent on killing everyone around you. But you are not. Horns and special abilities or not, you still are a person. Mechanical Implants and Neural Programming or not, Rachel is still a person, and my daughter. Do you understand where I am coming from?", Fernando explains to her.

"Yes…", Kieya says frustratedly.

"Good. Now get dressed. We're going for a walk.", he tells her.

"A walk? Where?", Kieya asks.

"If you want to stay here for another day being cooped up like some caged bird, fine by me. But I want some fresh air and a mile or so passing under my feet.", Fernando says.

"Uhm…", Kieya started to say.

"You have a 1/2 hour to get ready. Girls, I'll be back. Make sure she's ready when I return.", Fernando tells them as he walks to the door before leaving. Soon he was out the door and taking a stroll down the hall to the elevators.

"You heard him. Get dressed.", Juanita tells Kieya.

"Don't be telling me what to do.", Kieya tells her back.

"In all my years I have learned not to keep that man waiting when he tells you to be ready. Now hurry up before we tie you up and dress you ourselves.", Juanita tells her some more.

Kieya gets up, taking a towel from the dresser. "Alright then…", as she steps into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

The elevator door opens, and Fernando absent-mindedly walks in. A young woman inside tells him, "Excuse me, this elevator is going up…"

Fernando looks up towards the young lady, and both freeze in place as the door closes. "You…", Fernando says to her. He quickly reaches for the elevator panel, pressing the Elevator Stop button, stopping the elevator between floors. "What are you doing here?!!", He tells her.

"We have been staying here for almost a week now.", the young woman tells him. "And you?"

"Never mind me. Where is your friend, the one with the horns on her head?", Fernando tells her.

"Like you stated to the others, she's in the hospital getting her new arms and legs.", she tells him.

"And are you going to continue with the hunt?", Fernando tells her.

"In order to pay for the new arms and legs, yes. But what is it to you?", she asks.

"Everything.", Fernando tell her.

"Everything…?", she asks.

"Shit…", he says to himself. "When is she coming out?"

"Again, what is it to you?", she asks.

Fernando reaches to the elevator panel, pulling on the Elevator Stop button, restarting the elevator ride back up.

"Again, everything.", he tells her.

"You are not staying here, are you?", she asks.

"How about I go to your room and explain everything.", Fernando tells her.

"How about we don't and say that we did.", she says to him.

"Sometimes I swear I wish I did not had to resort to things like this…", Fernando says to himself.

"Things like… what?", she asks.

"This…", he says as steps to the furthest corner and pulls out his AA .45ACP, aiming it at her. The elevator stops and the door opens to her floor. "Go ahead, I'll follow. And no funny stuff."

"Uhm… I have friends in my room.", she tells him.

"The more the merrier. Besides, this gun has 16 bullets that can be shared. I doubt you have 16 friends in the room.", Fernando says. "But like I said, we need to talk."

They continue walking down the hall. He puts away his gun as they stop at her door. She opens the door and steps inside, he follows her in.

"Take a seat.", he says as they walk into the living area of the room.

"Uhm…", she started to say.

"All I have is a couple of questions. Answer them with answers I want to hear, and I will be on my way.", Fernando tells her.

She takes a seat opposite his. A young teen girl walks out of a room, "Oh, I did not know we had guess…"

"Uhm… Mayu, get Kouta out here.", she says.

"OK, Yuka.", she answers before walking into another room.

"Yuka is it? My name is Fernando.", he started to tell her.

"I remember it from the last time we had met.", Yuka tells him.

Kouta steps out of his room, followed by Mayu and Nyu. They all gather around Yuka's seat, looking at Fernando. He looks at Nyu.

"Another one.", Fernando says to himself.

"Another what?", Kouta asks.

"A Diclonius. Tell me, does the agency knows about her presence too?", Fernando asks.

For a moment, no one answers.

"No they don't.", Yuka finally says.

"Maybe that's a good thing.", Fernando says to himself. "Wait… Red hair… It cant be."

"Cant be what?", Kouta says.

"She cant be Lucy, is she?", Fernando asks.

"No.", he tells her.

"Uhm…", Mayu starts to say. "She is."

"What are you saying?!!", Kouta says to Mayu loudly. "Nyu is not Lucy!"

"They share the same body.", Yuka says.

Kouta sighs. "Alright. This is Lucy, but she is not Lucy now. Now, tell me how you know about her, and what are you going to do about it?"

"Do? That depends. But the moment, nothing. Know? I had work for your imperial government years ago and found out about the Diclonius research center during that time. What they wrote about her is… impressive to say the least.", Fernando started to say. "But… Yuka. Just like you are hiding a vicious murderer with a split personality, I am hiding Italy's most wanted and trying to give her the help she needs. Now that answers your questions?"

"And you are rooming in this hotel…", Yuka started to say.

"Yes.", Fernando finishes confirming the information for her.

For a moment they stare at each other.

"You are not going to say or do anything…", Kouta started to say.

"I was thinking of the same exact words.", Fernando tells him.

"Why are you hiding here?", Yuka asks.

"Because… all those she had killed, she killed in self defense.", Fernando started to answer. "She does not attack unless attacked first, and yes, they probably told you that she has killed many, she did so to keep herself alive. Ever had an unruly mob after your stinking hide?"

"Why don't you turn her in for a fair trail?", Yuka asks.

"Why don't you turn Lucy in for the same?", Fernando asks in kind.

"That is not possible!", Kouta holds back from yelling.

"Then you know what is going to happen if I turn Kieya in.", Fernando says. "We live in unjust societies. But I work within the machine and maybe I can do something for her. But you… you have become part of that machine and have become her hunters. She is going to hurt you, if you are lucky- kill you outright. Then what? All I have tried to teach her has been for not."

"Teach her?", Yuka asks.

"Teach her… that killing is wrong. That it is unacceptable except when saving your own life or lives of others. It is that simple. But when people like you are out there hunting her down, she has no other choice but to do what she know how to do, and that is killing.", Fernando tells her.

"But… it was not our decision to make…", Yuka tried to say.

"Not your decision to make?", Fernando almost mocks her. "Who was the one who decided to do all this?"

"To be honest, I don't know.", Yuka says.

"So you are being tricked into doing this?", Fernando asks.

"Doing what?", Kouta asks.

For a moment Fernando turns to Kouta and stares at him.

"You mean you don't know…", Fernando says.

"No. Now who are you and what is going on?", Kouta says.

Fernando turns to Yuka to see her response. For a moment she does not answer, so he tries to do so before she can after having lost the chance earlier.

"Your friend that is in the hospital needs to do the government a favor in order to pay the bill.", Fernando tells him.

"What kind of favor?", Kouta asks.

"Hunt down one of their kind, fight her and kill her if necessary.", Fernando begins to say.

"That's Not True!", Yuka shouts back.

"But…No Secrets… We're a family, right?", Mayu started to say.

"Well Yuka?", Fernando asks.

"Are you withholding something from us?", Kouta asks.

"Kouta, understand that I am doing this for everyone's benefit.", Yuka tries to explain.

"Everyone's benefit- how?", Kouta asks.

"It was explained that Nana's operation along with her new arms and legs is going to cost over 10million Euros. We just don't have that kind of money…", Yuka started explaining.

"And instead of paying the 10million Euros, she is going to have to work it off somehow?", Kouta asks.

"Yes… if she finds and helps captures a fugitive, then we owe nothing.", Yuka says.

"Is that all?", Kouta asks.

"I'm afraid not.", Fernando tells him.

"Again, who are you?", Kouta asks.

"How did the Rolling Stones said it? Oh yes. 'Please to meet you, I'm a man of wealth and tastes'; well actually- more like information and power. I work for a couple of agencies, including the SWA here in Italy. My name is Fernando.", Fernando tells him.

"Sounds like a lot of bull shit to me.", Kouta says.

"Have it your way. But I wanted to speak to Yuka about this situation she is in, and how wrong it is for her and her friend at the hospital to be doing this.", Fernando tells him.

"And your involvement in all this?", Kouta asks.

"My involvement? Heh heh… I swear, 'That' is funny.", Fernando says with a smile on his face. Then he turns quite serious before continuing, "I am housing the so-called fugitive in this very hotel. Unfortunately, you people are here too. Now I am not asking for trouble, but I want you to understand that the person they are after is innocent for one. And two, We are fighting for the same side, because if we fight each other, it is going to be very bloody. I know what Diclonius like Lucy here and Nana in the hospital are capable of doing, and that is what I am trying to stop. Understand what I am telling you… sir?"

Kouta gives Fernando a mean and hard stare before giving a slight nod of his head for acknowledgement.

"I have no quarrels or problems with anybody here. If things were different, I would invite you to lunch or dinner, but that would seem like interference on my part on this case. So Yuka- since you now have my observational supervisor as your boss, I'm letting you know now that she is going to lie, cheat, and otherwise persuade you into doing things you don't want to do. My advise, you do what you can without going in too deep. Unfortunately, that means that we are going to met again. Lets not fight when we do.", Fernando explains to her.

"How can I trust you?", Yuka asks.

"Outside of my word as a gentleman and a scholar- you cant… but…", Fernando says to her. Then he reaches into his jacket and pulls out his AA .45 pistol, handing it over to her. She nervously takes it. "That is one of two. Its twin is also on me, but when all this is over, I want you to give that back as a token of our trust."

Kouta takes the gun from Yuka as Fernando buttons up his suit jacket. Fernando slowly gets up to go to the door, only to have Kouta aim the gun at him. Fernando stares back to Kouta.

"I would advise you to put the gun down before you are the one that ends up hurt.", Fernando tells him.

"I am not going to let my helplessness get in the way of doing something for those I love and care for.", Kouta began to say.

"Have it your way, then…", Fernando stated to him. He then takes a couple of steps to Kouta, letting go of his eye-seeing cane stand on its end off the floor. He grabs Kouta by the wrist and twists it until Kouta lets go of the gun from the shear pain Fernando was inflicting on him. He catches the gun as it falls, then head butts Kouta, making him fall hard to the ground. He then turns to Yuka, handing her the gun again, as the cane finally hits the floor from its fall. Yuka can only look at him, unsure what to make of what just happened.

"Trust is not having me kill anyone in this room. But then again, I have no quarrel with any of you here. Neither should you of me. And what I just did, I was being nice; usually I take off the head of those who dare draw a gun on me.", Fernando tells her.

Yuka sits there in frozen awe, not able to say a word, make a sound or do a move. Fernando then gently places the gun on her lap. With a slight flick of his foot, the cane stand up straight off from the floor. He catches the end of the cane with his hand and pulls it towards him. He takes slow and deliberate steps to the door. He takes the doorknob and turns it but keeps the door closed.

"I'm in room 2703. You are welcomed to drop by if you want, but I prefer it if you don't bring any of the SWA Personnel or your friend here with the headache. I would like to sit down and talk about what we are going to do with all these Shivas in our midst.", Fernando tells the room. The door then slowly opens, and he walks out the room. He takes the walk to the elevator to see if anyone would walk out to follow him. As he waits, the door opens and somebody walks down the hall to the elevator. Oddly, the sound of the door closing is never heard.

"Mister…", a young voice asks for his attention. Fernando turns to face the girl, Mayu.

"Yes?", he asks.

"Why did you come to us?", Mayu asks.

"It was an accident, meeting Yuka here that is. Now that I know you people are here, I would want that this hotel building be a neutral ground where we do not fight. If possible, I would not want us to fight at all, but Yuka has already made such deal insuring that when we may, will comes to an ugly term.", Fernando explains.

"Then, can I ask, what are you doing here?", Mayu asks.

"Her name is Kieya, and I am protecting her… because like your two friends Lucy and Nana, they have special abilities that can hurt others if they are driven to anger. I do not want Kieya driven to anger.", Fernando explains.

"Then, can I give this back to you?", Mayu asks holding his gun to him, handle first.

"Yuka is to keep that until our next meeting.", Fernando answers.

"Why?", Mayu asks.

"It is a token of trust.", Fernando begins. He opens his jacket, showing off the other gun in his holster, "Though I have another one, at least she can have that one until we meet again, knowing that in the least, I will not be shooting at any of you with that gun- because you would have it."

"What about your other gun?", Mayu asks.

"I do need something to defend myself with while working…", Fernando stated. "It is not that I would shoot any of you, but in the least, the possibility thereof has been reduced to half. And mind you, I only shoot back in order to defend myself."

"Uhm…", Mayu started to say, but the elevator door opens behind Fernando. He slides his foot against the door closing sensor to keep it open.

"Look, as long as nobody tries to shoot me or my friends first, I wont shoot back. Now, I do have to go.", he tells her before stepping into the elevator. Mayu steps closer but does not cross the threshold. The door closes in front of her.

"But…", Mayu started to say but it was too late as the elevator floor indicator starts to count down. Yuka and Lucy/Nyu gather behind Mayu.

"Lets go back to the room.", Yuka says. Disappointed, Mayu joins the others in returning to the room. The door is closed behind them.

Fernando steps onto the main lobby of the hotel, looking about. He has a feeling that he is being watched, but can not immediately point out who it was. Nor was he going to waste time searching for his pursuer. Instead he goes to the hotel café and orders a strong cup of coffee. While he drinks his coffee, he takes out his keys and looks them over. Both the Porche and Alfa Romeo keys were in the set. He pockets the keys with a smile before taking the last sip of brew, putting the cup down onto a 5 Euro note he had placed on the table. He gets up and goes back to the elevator. In a couple of minutes, he was unlocking the door to his room.

Kieya was on the bed putting on her shoes. She was wearing some barrowed clothes from Juanita; a Black wrap-around skirt of her with a matching suit jacket and a white silk blouse that slightly showed the traces of her pink bra underneath. Disrupting the professional look was her wool cap. Fernando puts his hand onto his face and shakes his head for a moment.

"Juanita…", Fernando started to say.

"She has no clean clothes to wear.", Juanita tells her.

Fernando just sighs. He then walks into the closet, reaching into the rear of it and sliding out a hidden panel. From inside he pulls put a small traveling case and takes it to the bed. Juanita looks at it and nods.

"I thought this was just a typical room.", Juanita stated.

"I only rent the Agents' Rooms. Too bad the large suite upstairs is already taken by an unsuspecting group. At least they wont be able to find the goodies while they are screwing themselves up there.", Fernando explains as he opens the box and takes out a few female hair implements and places them on the bed. "Unless it is on some no-name town in the middle of bum-fuck nowhere, only then will I rent non-agent rooms."

He then looks at Kieya, more actually at her horns. They were not as big and noticeable if first glanced at, but they do stick out of her hair about an inch or so. He looks at the items on the bed for a moment, picking up a hair band.

"Hmmm….", he says to himself.

"What?", Juanita asks.

Fernando holds up the hair band to her.

"That is to hold back one's hair when its combed back.", Juanita says.

"I know. But what if it holds it loosely enough to puff out the hair a bit to hide the horns?", Fernando asks.

"You would need a thinner one than that. This one is too thick and meant to hold the hair tight.", Juanita explains.

"Well, I'm not a girl, so I don't know these things.", Fernando says before tossing the hair band at Juanita. She catches it as Fernando walks away. "You figure it out so it hides her horns."

Rachel goes into the box and pulls out a thinner hair band. She also takes a comb with a long thin and pointy handle, taking them to Kieya. She stands on front of her, holding up the items to be seen.

"Stay still and no one needs to get hurt.", Rachel tells her.

"Wait a minute now…", Kieya started to say.

"Let Rachel fix up your hair.", Fernando tells her. "We need to cover those horns of your without looking out of place. That wool cap was nice in school, but you are not in school anymore."

Kieya looks like she had lost a friend, be it an imaginary one.

Rachel reaches out and puts the hair band on Kieya's head, using the pointy handle of the comb to move the hair about to hide the horns. She finishes in under a minute, also managing to hide the hair band too.

"All done", as Rachel steps away from Kieya.

"Good… Now will it stay in place if she shakes her head or the wind blows?", Fernando asks.

"Well, it should…", Rachel says confidently.

"We better make sure of that…", Juanita says as she approaches Kieya with a can of hairspray. She covers Kieya's eyes and starts to spray her hair, making adjustments to it. Another minute of adjusting and spraying, Juanita steps back. "There!…"

"Good.", Fernando tells them. "Lets go, Kieya. Francesca- I'm leaving the Porsche behind for you and the others. I'll be taking the Alfa."

"OK.", Francesca replies as Fernando slowly stepped to the door. He signals to Kieya to go with him. Reluctantly she obliges. They both step out into the hallway and head to the elevator.

"Where are we going?", Kieya asks.

"Someplace safe, quiet and a long way from Rome.", Fernando tells her.

"Would you mind telling me where it is that we are going?", Kieya stated in question.

"A small town not too far from here, but far enough to keep you safe while we eat and explore some options. I'm sure you may heard of it, its called Nemi.", Fernando answers her.

"Nemi?", Kieya asks. The elevator open up and the two of them enter. Fernando puts a control key into the elevator panel, making it run express for him to the basement garage.

"Its about 50 miles south east from Rome, next to Nemi National Park which has Lake Nemi inside. It's a beautiful place to be at during these spring and summer days.", Fernando explained.

"You're not going to try any funny stuff, are you?", Kieya

"Funny stuff? As I recall, you were the one who pounced on me when we were discussing stable DNA.", Fernando stated as he held back his anger.

"Can you blame a girl for trying?", Kieya tries to joke but fails in delivery.

Fernando shifts his eyes away from the elevator panel, towards Kieya. "No. But I'm a married man. And you're 10 years younger than I am.", he says in a low tone.

Kieya just sighs for the moment. "You don't know how it is. Being loney, having people hate you all because you have horns growing out of your head.", she says.

"I know how it to be loney…", Fernando started to say.

"But you have friends, and something you can call a family.", Kieya interrupts.

"That is not true. Even if they were in the same room with me, I would still be alone. Alone because I have to make decisions for them and for myself in which they would not agree upon if I told them. Alone because I have to do things by myself without their support. Alone because they do not agree with me nor do they share the mindset as I do.", Fernando explains.

"What about your friend who is your other self…?", Kieya asks.

"Just because we share the same brain frequencies and patterns, that allow us to communicate like twins, does not mean that we agree. Most of the time we disagree, and she often puts judgment upon me like some righteous bible thumper pointing his finger to sinners in a crowd. It is not easy to deal with that kind of opposition.", Fernando answers.

"But… don't you love her?", Kieya asks.

"Love? What feelings we may have had for each other left a long time ago.", Fernando explains.

'Why?", Kieya asks.

The elevator stops on the basement garage level, opening its door.

"You ask more questions than a 4 year old.", he tells her, again holding back his anger. Kieya looks at him as if she had done something wrong, which she probably did by asking one too many questions. Fernando points out the door. "Step out so I can remove this key.", he adds.

"Oh…", Kieya says before hopping out of the elevator. Fernando removes the key from the panel and steps out of it. The door closes and it continues to function normally as it goes back up to the lobby level.

Fernando starts to walk to the rear of the garage where the more fancier cars were kept. They stop in front of a black Alpha Romeo Spyder. Fernando points to the passenger side door for Kieya to enter as he walked to the driver's side. Opening the door with his key unlocks both sets of locks, they enter and sit down inside the car. The doors lock themselves when they were closed. Fernando puts on his seat belt, then he looks at Kieya.

"Put on your seat belt.", he tells her.

"Don't trust your own driving?", Kieya asks.

"I don't trust other people's driving. Now, put on that seat belt…", Fernando tells her sternly.

Kieya does as she was told. Fernando puts the key into the ignition and turns on the engine as she does. Putting the car into gear, Fernando drives the Alfa out of its parking spot and heads out of the garage's rear entrance. A red Ferrari Dino slowly follows behind, as Fernando makes it into city traffic, heading for the highway. Soon they were on the highway, with Fernando pushing his foot onto the gas pedal and pressing it against the floor.

He takes a glimpse into his mirrors, spotting a spot of red on them.

"It is of no concern to you, but I think we are being followed.", Fernando says.

"Somebody is following us?", Kieya asks.

"No doubt its our friends from the agency.", Fernando says. Then he sighs before speaking again, "I'll take care of him. You just stay behind me and do not make a move unless I tell you too."

Kieya does not say a word. Fernando then slows the car down to allow his pursuer to quickly catch up. Fernando uses the traffic around him to hide himself for a few moments, confusing his follower and forcing him to unknowingly pass the Alfa. Fernando then stomps on the gas pedal and shifts gears as his twists the steering wheel to come out of hiding and appear right behind the red Ferrari. He lights up his headlights and flashes them at the Ferrari before pulling to its right and lining up with it door to door. The windows on both cars roll down. Fernando nods at the driver of the Ferrari.

"Ernesto, only you are dumb enough to follow somebody in such a fancy car.", Fernando tells him.

"Well, I have my orders.", Ernesto tells him.

"Just don't get in the way of my orders.", Fernando tells him.

"We'll have to see about that.", he tells him.

"Just don't. I would not want little Pia to end up on the chopping block like others were.", Fernando tells him.

"You go worry about yourself. Pia is a big girl now and is more than capable of handling things the other failed on.", Ernesto almost brags.

"Well, since you are not going to listen, you know where I will be…", Fernando says loudly, as he reaches down between the seats and starts turning a knob under his seat.

"Nemi again? You are so damn predictable!", Ernesto yells back.

"Nemi, yes! But where in Nemi? That remains to be seen!", Fernando yells as he reaches for the shifter. He pries his thumbnail against the shifter knob, popping off a flip top cap, and presses a red button on it as he shifts to a higher gear. The engine revs loudly as Kieya is slammed to the back of the seat and is pinned there like on some wild rollercoaster ride. Fernando holds on to the steering wheel, as he twists and turns through traffic with the speedometer arching passed the 120 mph mark, getting stuck on the pin at the end of the dial. Ernesto can only scowl in frustration as the Alfa disappears in the distant traffic miles ahead of him.

For every 3 miles Fernando gets, Ernesto regains 1. After a while, Fernando makes it to Nemi in mere minutes instead of an hour. The first stop he makes is the gas station, to fill up on fuel. The next stop he takes is to assorted grocery stores and bakeries. Kieya waits for him on the passenger seat as he buys some needed items that he places into the trunk. Soon they were driving again. Fernando drives through town, then passes through its main street onto the highway, where he gets off at the Nemi National Park entrance. Though the gate of the park is closed, he uses the smallness of the Alfa to get past them. Once inside the park, he drives around the various pathways to a secluded spot overlooking the large lake this area was known for. He shuts off the engine, pocketing his keys before take a step outside. He stands in front of the car, looking out to the lake. Keiya steps out and stands behind him.

"It looks lovely…", Kieya says to herself.

"You have been a city child all your life. Well, so was I.", Fernando says.

"What do you mean by that?", Kieya asks.

"Simple- this view would not be so awe inspiring to you if you had seen it or anything else similar to it. You are too used to the canyons the buildings make in the city.", Fernando explains.

"You seem to know it all, don't you.", Kieya stated.

"I dont know it all, but I have lived through what I do know. And I do know…", Fernando started to say. Then he suddenly steps away to the rear of the Alfa, opening its trunk. Kieya looks at him puzzled, seeing that he has placed a large object on his shoulder and reaching inside the trunk for another object. Closing the trunk, Fernando walks over to Kieya, handing her a picnic basket. He then takes a few steps from the car to a nearby tree and lays down a large blanket he had placed on his shoulder. Kieya steps over to him, looking at the blanket he just laid.

"What is this all about?", Kieya asks.

"Its called having some free time to relax.", Fernando begins. "Look, though you might be well above the drinking and consent age, I'm not here to take advantage of you. We are just going to sit down, eat, drink and discuss your future plans. Then we are going to implement those plans. That is if you want to live out a new life without killing people."

"And if I don't want to live a life without killing people?", Kieya asks just to taunt him.

"You choices would be: you die here, you die elsewhere like a hunted down rabid dog, or that little brain of yours gets fried and you live your life as a vegetable connected to machines to keep you alive. Then again, you could be reprogrammed and made into a pleasure slave for me.", Fernando stated.

"A pleasure slave? Please, you are so uptight, if I shoved coal up your ass, you'd shit out diamonds." Kieya stated.

"So you would want to believe. Look, just because I don't like to party does not mean that I don't know how too. I just don't party anymore because I lost my party-girl a long time ago.", he tells her as he sits against the tree.

"You mean your wife? But you're married…", Kieya started to say as she sat down on the far end of the blanket.

"Francesca is not a party-girl. And if she were, she is not into my type of parties. We may be married, but we are very different. In the least I can say is that I can trust her to be by my bedside.", Fernando explains.

"Trust?", Kieya asks.

"It takes a lot of trust to have somebody share your bed. You would have to trust them and then would have to trust you in that neither one wont do harm to the other. As easy as it may sound, it take a lot in emotional investment alone with time and trust. In short- you have to love them as they love you.", Fernando explains.

"So you love that red headed Robo-Chick?", Kieya asks.

"Love to a degree. Trust with my life. I wont abuse her for she wont do the same to me.", Fernando says.

"I see…", Kieya says.

"You have been in my mind, you should know what it is I feel and how I feel for whom.", Fernando tells her.

"Yes, I do.", Kieya replies. "But sometimes it is better to hear from you."

"I know, you cant build trust if you must read minds all the time.", Fernando says.

"But you don't know how much trouble these horns have given me.", Kieya says.

"I have had my own troubles. They may not compare to yours but just for being different, people wanted me dead too. Making it worse, being in an interracial relationship and eventually marriage, people did not to see me or my wife happy. They involved themselves in our business, lied about what the other one of us was doing, tried to destroy us. In the end, she was killed and I had to suffer for it. But no, I don't have horns, nor do I have a uterus or a period- so I don't know these things.", Fernando explains.

"You and your other self have switched, so you know what it is to be a woman.", Kieya stated.

"She is weak, I am near superhuman. She is emotional, I am cold. She can't handle alcohol well, I can. And that is not just her being a woman, but being a normal human. She does not have what I have, though she may have the telepath genes. But in me being a woman through borrowing her body, I know what it is like. I would not want to be a woman because I am too much of a man who happens to love women.", Fernando replies.

"So…", Kieya started to ask.

"The reason I can stop you is because I am super fast. Juanita may be able to stop you like I can, but your vectors would have reached her before she can act upon you.", Fernando answers for her.

"Why is that?", Kieya asks.

"Simple. Using you as the example; If you put the picnic basket down and I told you to go in it and take out the bottle of wine inside it, it would take you longer to put your physical hand in there and take it out than it would if you would have used your vectors. Why? In using your hand, the nerve impulses takes time to take action, using your vectors, you are just moving its energy and it become instant. Understand that?", Fernando explains.

"How does it apply to you?", Kieya asks.

"I just told you. Its faster to manipulate the energy of your being than it is to manipulate the physical you.", Fernando throws at her.

"Uhm…", Kieya starts to say.

"If you cant figure it out as what you are, you will never figure it out.", Fernando starts to say. "Now, there is some bread, cold cuts, cheeses and wine. Take what you want. I'll take a bit of bread with some ham, cheese and mayo."

Kieya puts down the picnic basket, and then reaches inside with her vectors, pulling out the items and cutting for Fernando what he had asked for. Wrapping them in a paper towel, it floats over to him, where he reaches and grabs it.

"That's pretty good. Many Diclonius don't learn fine motor skills of their vectors because they use them for hack and slash tactics.", Fernando pointed out.

"I had many years of practice.", Kieya stated.

"Good. Maybe you can use your abilities for good after all.", Fernando stated.

"Hmph…", Kieya says to herself as she pulls another made sandwich for herself.

For a while, a very long while, they peacefully eat a small meal of sandwiches and wine. They listen to the lapping water against the shore, the birds singing and the rare jetliner that passed overhead. She sits closer to him, to see what he points out as they discuss things few take for granted. A red Ferrari pulls up to the gated park entrance, a window roll down. Its driver looks at a hand-held device.

"Predictable as always, Fernando.", the driver says to himself. "Pia, rip open the gate so I can drive in."

"Sure thing, Ernesto…", the silver haired cyborg says as she got out of the Ferrari. She walks over to the gate and rips it off its hinges, tossing it to the side of the road. Ernesto slowly drives the Ferrari through the opening and waits for Pia to get back in the car once he crossed over the thresh hold.

Ernesto drives through the path slowly, as the Dino barely fit onto the road, unlike the Alfa which was thinner and longer in build. Soon he had the Alfa in sight, stopping the Ferrari in the middle of the path to block it from going anywhere. Both he and Pia get out of the car and walk the rest of the way, Pia getting her gun ready. Fernando and Kieya were tossing peanuts to the squirrels, until they were spooked away. Ernesto and Pia were walking past the Alfa, approaching the, with arms drawn and aimed.

"The game ends here, Fernando.", Ernesto says

"Only you play the game, Ernesto. I play for keeps.", Fernando reminds him.

"Just get up slowly no one needs to get hurt.", Ernesto says.

"I'm not getting up, no matter what you may think.", Fernando began. "I had a deal with Ferro that we would be left alone for a week while we all try to resolve this matter with our friend."

"She's not a friend, Fernando. She's a mass murderer.", Ernesto stated. "She should be arrested, tried, convicted and executed."

"Like you should have? Gee, Ernesto. I think I remember that you received a damn good reprieve to go work with Section 2 despite what you tried to do with Pia and the high cost it took to bring her back from the dead. Remind me, how many people had to die for that little stunt?", Fernando taunts at him before slowly getting up. "Now put away those toys before you get hurt.", he says as he stood his ground.

Kieya slowly got up, standing beside Fernando, concentrating hard, putting herself on a hair trigger to release her vectors on the silver haired cyborg who had her .50 Caliber Dessert Eagle aimed at her.

"Kieya Don't…", Fernando tells her.

"She has a gun aimed at me.", Kieya says.

"Don't what?", Ernesto stated. "We got you while you were unarmed. We have you to our advantage. We are in control of this situation here."

"You have totally underestimated us, Ernesto. That is why I'm warning you- no- TELLING YOU- To Stand Down!", Fernando stated, getting louder with each word.

"Ha!", Ernesto said in mock laughter. "Just put out those arms and be ready to be handcuffed. Pia, One funny move from them, shoot to kill."

"I already have my eye on this one", Pia says as presses her trigger just slightly, turning on the laser pointer, shining a bright red dot on Kieya's left breast.

"Good. Now Fernando, where is the weapon?", Ernesto stated in question.

"There is no weapon.", Fernando answered.

"That makes it even easier.", Ernesto stated as he stepped closer to Fernando, pulling out handcuffs from his jacket pocket. "I'm placing you under arrest for harboring a known fugitive."

"I'm warning you not to do this…", Fernando stated.

"Warning?", Ernesto asks.

Fernando concentrates to get into Kieya's head until he stand in front of her in her mind.

_"I want nobody to get hurt. If anything, use your vectors to take and destroy the gun and then hide up in the trees. I will take care of Ernesto."_

_"I cant guarantee what is going to happen if she shoots first."_

_"Just don't hurt them!"_

_"I'll try not too… But…"_

_"No Butts!"_

Fernando reenters reality, having only spent a micro second in the telepathic realm.

"How long will you think it will take a medi-vac helicopter to get here while either one of you or both lay bleeding to death?", Fernando stated sternly at Ernesto.

"You are so sure that you are going to win this…", Ernesto mocked. "If it were up to me, I'd let you die right there and let Section 2 pick up your body for Identification."

"OK, have it your way… How long you think Francesca and Rachel is going to allow you walk the Earth after I am dead? Pia- you know better- Rachel took you on and won without firing a shot. If she would have fired, you would have been dead. Remember that.", Fernando says.

"Rachel does not scare Pia.", Ernesto stated.

"Yeah? Then why is she silent?", Fernando says.

"ENOUGH OF THIS!", Ernesto yells. "You Are Under Arrest! Cooperate Or Die Where You Stand!"

"Gee, what options.", Fernando mocks back, taking a side to block Kieya from Pia.

"Take Her, Pia!", Ernest shouts out as he tries to reach for Fernando.

Fernando takes his arm and pushes Kieya behind him, distracting her as she draws out her vectors towards Pia. They swing out towards Ernesto as she was pushed, passing through his extended arm, cutting it off just past the wrist. Ernesto howls in pain. Fernando draws his .45 and aims at Pia's head, both fire with deadly accuracy; his shot hitting just above her eyebrow, her shot hitting him left of his chest. She passes out from the concussion of the heavy .45 round hitting her, her skull rung like a bell in a church tower. He falls back against Kieya and the tree behind them, thanking god that his dual layers of bullet resistant clothing stopped the bullet from penetrating, but breaking a couple of ribs in the process. They all fall to the floor at about the same time.

"Fernando…?", Kieya asks as she holds him. He breathes heavy coughing up a bit of blood.

Fernando moves to look at Pia and then Ernesto who was holding the bleeding stump of his arm with his free hand.

"Make… sure… she's… alive…", Fernando says between his breaths.

"But You're Hurt!", Kieya shouts back.

"Take… Care… Of… Them…. First…!", Fernando stated. "There… Is… A… First Aide… Kit… In The… Car's… Trunk!", he says, before coughing up some more blood, bright red in color. He wipes the blood of his lips with the sleeve of his arm.

Kieya does as she was told, running to the Alfa with the keys he had gave her, opening its trunk and pulling out a large plastic box that is marked First Aid. She runs back to Fernando, who points to Ernesto. She looks at him in disbelief before attending to Ernesto. She takes out the large rolls of gauze and wraps the stump of his arm with it. It takes much of the rolls that were in the kit to effectively close the wound and stop the bleeding. Fernando then instructs her to take Ernesto's decapitated hand and put it a large plastic zip lock bag with as many cold compress packs that could fit with it. Kieya then checks Pia, finding her out cold but still alive. A simple gauze bandage covers the wound above her eye.

Fernando takes his cell phone from his pocket and calls Ferro, explaining to her what had transpired. Ferro argues back but Fernando's demand for a medi-vac copter is made and then hangs up.

"Its your turn now.", Kieya stated to Fernando, as she knelt next to him.

"No…", Fernando stated.

"You're Hurt!", Kieya shouted back at him.

'Keep… An… Eye… On… Ernesto… He's A… Wounded… Animal…", Fernando says with each breathe. "Wounded… Animals… Are… Dangerous…" He raises his arm and puts his .45 to her chest, "Take it…"

Kieya holds the gun to her chest with his hand on it. But it was too late, Ernesto had his gun out aimed at Kieya. He can be heard saying to himself, "Die you stinking bitch…" as he pulled the trigger on his .50 Caliber Dessert Eagle. Instead of a shot being fired, the gun falls apart in his hand. His jaw drops in disbelief.

"I… Told… You… You… Under… Estimated… Her…", Fernando says to him. "Now… Just… Sit… There… Until… Help… Arrives…"

"This is not over, mister…", Ernesto scowls at Fernando.

"Ernesto… *cough… cough…* Fuck… You…", Fernando tells him.

It was an uneasy 1/2 hour until the helicopters arrived. Ferro, Pricilla and Olga ran out to survey the scene with the EMTs right behind. Pia was loaded onto the helicopter first, followed by Ernesto, along with his hand in the ziplock bag that was placed in a freezer box. The first helicopter leaves the scene as the other crew tries to tend to Fernando, as much as he fought back.

"Look,… Who… Told… Ernesto… To… Take… Us… On…?", Fernando asks, Ferro.

"All handlers have their stand down orders, Ernesto acted on his own! So who shot first?", Ferro says and then asks.

"Pia… Did…", Fernando explains.

"And What Happened To Ernesto's Hand?", Ferro asks further.

"Kieya… Acted… In… Self… Defense…", Fernando explains.

"That is not good…", Ferro says out loud but to herself.

"What… you… mean…?", Fernando asks.

"Look, you are in no shape to argue.", Ferro started to say. "You are going to the hospital…"

"Kieya… goes… with… me.", Fernando argues.

"I'm afraid that Kieya is under arrest.", Ferro explains to him.

"What… For…?", Fernando asks before he tries to get up. For him getting up was not the problem, but the sharp pain around his chest as he moved was. He manages to get up with a bit of help from Kieya, then takes a couple of steps to Ferro, holding the side of his chest tightly. He puts his right hand into his jacket, noticing how the SWA personnel is drawing their guns at him he pulls out his hand from inside slowly. Between his thumb and forefinger was the .50 caliber round from Pia's gun, which he put at Ferro's face.

"Self…! Defense…!!!", Fernando tells her as loud as he could before doubling over in pain and coughs up more bright red blood onto Ferro's feet. Her expensive in season Pradas and Microfibre Silk Stockings were splashed with his bright red body fluids. In all this he managed to clench his hand into a fisted ball, keeping the bullet from getting lost.

"AHHH!!! MY GOD! THAT'S IT! TAKE HIM TO THE HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY!", Ferro yells for all to hear. Several of the medics try to grab onto Fernando's arm, only to have him block their advances. He then takes Kieya and leads her to the helicopter that would take him to the nearest medical facility: Nemi General Hospital. A small facility for a small town, which rarely gets any excitement outside of a bad car wreck off the nearby highway.

"If you want to live, do not leave me out of your sight, no matter where they take me in the hospital.", Fernando tells Kieya as the helicopter door closes. In under a minute it leaves the scene.

Soon the area begins to clear out. Ferro, Priscilla and Olga tell the helicopter crews to leave as they would take the cars left behind by their owners. "Priscilla, you take the Alfa. Olga and I will take the Ferrari", Ferro tells them. Priscilla hands Ferro a bottle of sterile water from Fernando's medical kit, which she pours onto her shoes and shins to wash off his presence. Taking some paper towels from the kit, Ferro finally dries herself off. She complains to herself for a moment before dumping the paper towels on the floor. The three walk to their respective vehicles, using a set up back up keys, enter them and drive away.

Ferro takes the time to call Juanita as she drives to Nemi General Hospital. She explains that has happened as far as she knew what happened to her, and where Fernando was being taken for medical care. Their conversation ends with Juanita saying, "I see…"

"Rachel, Francesca- lets go.", Juanita tells them.

"Where are we going?", Rachel asks.

"To meet your father. He's in Nemi General Hospital after a fight with Ernesto.", Juanita says.

"THAT's It! That Bitch Pia Is Dead Meat!", Rachel almost yells out.

"Pia might already be dead. And Ernesto is pretty fucked up himself- thanks to Fernando and Kieya. We just don't know.", Juanita tries to explain. "Now get in the car so we can go."

"I'm Driving!", Rachel yells out.

"You cant even reach the pedals!", Francesca tells her.

"Yes too I can!", Rachel argues back.

"LADIES!", Juanita yells. "I'll be driving."

"Swell, we'll get there by tomorrow.", Rachel says.

"As long as we get there.", Francesca says.

"Time is not on our side.", Rachel says.

The three of them leave the hotel room for the car, and are soon off on their way to Nemi. Ferro also had called Dr. Bianchi, asking him to bring Nana with him, whether she was ready or not. Despite the argument not to bring her out into the hunt, priorities and demands overweighs the needs of details and recovery. In his view, Nana maybe functioning well, but the limits of her abilities have not been determined nor has she been totally accustomed to her new body though she may believe that things are what they seem to be. For her, this would be a baptism of fire.

Fernando spends three hours in Emergency, trying to avoid surgery as best as he could, forcing the doctors to older treatments of care for him. Kieya does not leave his side despite the doctor's wishes of her needing to leave. With a lot of tie grabbing and threats, Fernando gets his wish of being treated as per his instructions, despite warnings contrary to his treatment. "Another blow to the ribs like that and you could be killed." Fernando does not care for such warnings or of such advanced treatments. He believes that he knows what is best for him and that is what he wants for himself. In the end, he sits on the examination table, putting on his bullet resistant t-shirt against the soft rib cast and adjusting it to minimal pain from it. The shirt comes on next, leaving the top few buttons opened as the cast made the shirt tighter than normal. The holster and suit jacket were put on last.

"You don't look good.", Kieya tells him.

"I'll take my chances.", Fernando tells her back.

"Why don't you stay and get the medical help you need?", Kieya asks.

"Because of what happened out there. People are after you despite orders being given to them. I would not be surprised if there was a multi-million euro reward on your horny little head.", Fernando explains. "Now, my offer still stands, but guarantees no longer applies. Then again, they never did."

For 3 hours, Ferro and the others were denied access to Fernando in the hospital. Now that he has delayed them for this long, the others begin to arrive, including one who can bypass all medical restrictions on personnel access: Dr. Bianchi. He arrives into the room looking over Fernando and then glancing over to Kieya. He puts the medical clip board on the examining table next to Fernando.

"Four Left Thoracic Ribs, from the third to the seventh, broken and a punctured Pulmonary Lobe. You should be in intensive care on heavy pain medication and connected to a respirator.", Dr. Bianchi stated to him. Then he asks, "This must be Kieya…"

"That's none of your damn business…", Fernando scowls. "I'm fine enough to walk out of here and that is exactly what I am going to do."

"And what? You are in no shape to fight anyone. And why fight? To help a fugitive? She took out 3 cyborgs- Pia makes 4.", Dr. Bianchi started.

"I shot Pia, for shooting at her but she missed and hit me instead.", Fernando says as he takes the bullet from his pocket and tosses it to him.

"Then who chopped off Ernesto's hand?", Dr. Bianchi asks.

"She did accidentally. As Pia shot her, she raised her vectors at her in defense. I threw Kieya behind me and the vectors went through Ernesto's wrist; but he also about to shoot us as well.", Fernando stated. "No one in this room is an angel, but in the least, Kieya was defending herself in this and in all situations she had to lash out with her vectors."

"She killed over 30 students in the soccer field.", Dr. Bianchi stated.

"30 who were after her and wanted to do the same to her. So what she has an advantage with her vectors. I have an advantage with my guns. But at 30 to 1 odds? What would you do if somebody went after you like that? Somebody who wanted to see you dead?"

"Does not excuse anyone for their actions.", Dr. Bianchi stated.

"I would like to see you as the hunted.", Fernando stated.

"Unfortunately for you, for siding with her, you are the hunted as well, that is unless you relinquish her over to us.", Dr. Bianchi says.

"And if I say no?", Fernando asks.

"Then you and her will be placed under arrest.", Dr. Bianchi stated.

"Then you give me no other option than to call on my powers of Diplomatic Immunity, and extend such rights and freedoms to her under the endangered persons act.", Fernando tells him.

"You fucking dog…", Dr. Bianchi tells him before storming out the room.

"What did you just do?", Kieya asks.

"I'm giving you an extension of the powers that protects me under the laws of my country.", Fernando explains. "I thought I would not have to go that far but he leaves me no choice in this matter."

"I do not want anybody in trouble because of me.", Kieya says.

"Please, I have been in more trouble for stealing candy from the candy store when I was a kid. This is nothing.", Fernando explains to her. "Look. If you are capable of not using your vectors in self defense by killing others unless in extreme situations, then you should have your place in society. You understand where I am coming from with this?"

Kieya nods with her head bowed. At the same time, the patter of running feet towards Fernando's examination room. The patter stop as Rachel and then Francesca step in to the room. Rachel pounces on her father but is halted and kept at a distance by him. Francesca stays by the door for a moment.

"Everything alright? You seem fine.", Rachel asks.

"No, I'm actually hurt, I'll get better.", he explains.

"So what happened? What is this I hear about Pia being dead?", Rachel asks as Francesca approaches.

"I don't think she is dead, she should not be…", Fernando started.

"But what happened?!!", Rachel almost yells.

"That idiot Ernesto told Pia to shoot Kieya but I moved her behind me and that little blonde haired bitch shot me instead. Kieya let her vectors out to get her but in me moving her, she chopped off Ernesto's hand by accident.", Fernando explained. "Now, I shot Pia in the forehead. In the very least that would have knocked her out and not killed her."

"So, what is the next step?", Francesca asks.

"Look. You all don't have to side with me on this one. But I have extended diplomatic immunity on Kieya to keep her from getting arrested and tried unfairly.", Fernando answers.

"What makes you think that she will be tried unfairly.", a voice asks at the door. It was Ferro with Priscilla, Olga, Juanita, Dr. Bianchi and Nana; all who entered the room after she asked.

"You all have already decided to hunt her down and to terminate her.", Fernando started. "You know that Italian law does not cover murder by telekinesis when there is no murder weapon to be found. In fact, how can you convict someone when you can not explain or demonstrate how it was done?"

"She's dangerous.", Ferro stated. "She is a danger to the people around her, a danger to society."

"I have taught her otherwise!", Fernando said.

"In just 3 days?", Ferro stated. "Bullshit! Nana- go get her."

Nana steps up from behind the group, unleashing her vectors to grab Kieya. Kieya unleashes her vectors out, pushing everyone out the way and sending Nana out of the room flying to the end of the hall. She then sends a couple of her vectors through the window, ripping out the glass panels and frame outside. She then flies out the window, using her vectors to propel herself through the air. Though having quite a considerable distance ahead of her, Nana does the same and follows her.

"Look at what you fucking done- Ferro!", Fernando holds back from yelling at her. "If people die today, it is on your head!"

Fernando storms out the room. But stops when Olga stands in the way.

"Where are you going?", Olga asks.

"Trying to put a stop to this before more people get hurt or killed.", Fernando says.

"In following agency orders, you are under arrest, sir. Now cooperate or I have to get tough on…", Olga started to make her statement loud and clear but soon finds herself flat on her ass unsure how she got there. Rachel and Francesca follows Fernando out of the hospital ward. They get out onto the parking lot and take the Porsche to the direction where Kieya and Nana were flying towards: Lake Nemi.


	13. Chapter 13

SWA: Diclonius End Game.

A Gunslinger Girl X Elfen Lied Crossover, by Elfen Magix.

* * *

Gunslinger Girl is © Yu Aida

Elfen Lied is © Lynn Okamotto

* * *

I would like to thank Boomer Gonzales for his help against Writer's Block, the scourge and dreaded disease of writers everywhere!

* * *

Chapter 13: Another Day, Staring At The Ceiling.

The serene beauty of the sun setting behind the western coast of Lake Nemi brings in the illusion of a quiet night in the park lands that surrounds its shores. As the birds, squirrels and assorted woodland creatures that are protected amongst this land, the rustling of vegetation can be heard in the otherwise peaceful silence. It says that the hunt is on.

Not far behind Fernando drives with his foot stomping the gas pedal to the ground, the nitrous system at 75%, the engine howling as its high volume oil pump and racing valve springs keep the V8 from tearing itself apart while in the tachometer's red zone. The speedometer has given up registering how fast they were going as the needle indicator laid pinned to its Stop-Pin. The rotors of all 4 disc brakes glow bright red as he slows to a respectable speed as he approaches the park's gates. He slows down further to a crawl to negotiate the parkway paths, stopping at the South Eastern shore of the lake. He gets out as does Rachel and Francesca, over looking the shores and tree lined paths that surrounds the lake. He only stands there, saying nothing, but letting all his senses reach out as far as they could. Immediately to their left, a loud explosion can be heard followed by a falling tree. They run to the direction of the sound, eventually passing 200 meters to catch up with its source.

"You Think That Actually Hurt?!!", Nana was seen getting up from behind a fallen tree's stump.

"You Are Not Going To Take Me!", Kieya yells back.

Their battle continues, cut trees being swung like baseball bats, stones being thrown at near ballistic speeds, the ground implodes with the impact of misplaced vectors.

"STOP IT!", Fernando yells out.

It somehow manages to stop the fighting between the two combatants for a moment as they turn to face him and his girls.

"Stand your grounds and leash your vectors… Both of yous!", Fernando yells at them.

"Mister, I'm here to do a job!", Nana yells at him.

"You have not noticed how many vectors she has? Or how long they are?", Fernando asks loudly.

"I Know How To Fight And Capture Diclonious!", Nana stated.

Kieya unleashes a vector, covering the distance between her and Nana, taking off an extended arm just below the elbow. Nana turns back to see Kieya and what she had done to her. The Bleeding ad immediately stopped after a sudden rush of pressure flushed out, the cybernetic systems shutting down the plumbing at the point of breakage as programmed to do so. The cut synthetic nerve endings scream before the conditioning drug kicks in, ending the shock of pain. But Nana stands there horrified that she must relive her nightmare, thinking that there is no way that the loss of the arm will not be fixed or replaced. She also does not believe that Kieya was able to reach over 40 feet of distance when she could reach slightly more than 1/2 as much..

"Shall I cut the other one of as well?", Kieya taunts back.

"NO!", Nana shouts back in panic before she finds herself on the defensive, trying to block 15 vectors to her 4.

Keiya draws closer to Nana, having the advantage over her, not realizing that she was getting within Nana's vector range. Nana fights back looking for an opening, but throws all hope to the wind as she extends a vector into Kieya's forehead, engulfing the Pineal Gland with her telekinetic fingers, halting the blood flow that nourishes it, giving it the power to run vectors. Kieya's vectors slowly fade as her Pineal Gland shuts down.

"NO!", Kieya yells out. "What Have You Done You Witch!"

"I'm doing what is right!", Nana yells back. "In being a good girl, I have to do this…" Two of Nana's vectors hold Keiya's body taught, and a third goes across Kieya's neck, severing it off her body. For a moment, her head floats above her body. The spray from both seems to fountain everywhere.

"NO!", both Rachel and Francesca yell, taking their guns and a running aim at Nana as head to her.

"EVERYONE STOP!", Fernando yells out before everything flashes into a sudden bright white. All stands about looking at each other as they seemingly float in the space of bright white.

"This ends.", Fernando says to them as he walks to the center of the group. Nana turns to him unsure how to answer, seeing Kieya still whole in front of her.

"But Daddy…", Rachel started to say.

"Daddy Nothing! Its Over. They cheated, they won. Accept that we had… I had lost.", Fernando tells her. "There is nothing we can do now."

"I don't understand…", Francesca says.

"I'll explain to you one day. But for now, Sleep…", Fernando says. Both Rachel and Francesca close their eyes and fall to the ground, and disappear from the telepathic realm. He then takes steps towards Nana.

"Why are you here?", Nana asks.

"You know of this place then.", Fernando says.

"Of course I do, it is where I am when I put my vector into somebody's forehead to read their minds.", Nana says.

"This place is more that that, Miss.", Fernando explains.

"And why is she still alive?", Nana explains pointing to Kieya.

"Because she is not dead yet.", Fernando says to her before taking steps to Kieya. He takes her hands, and holds them in front of his. "I'm sorry…", he tells her.

"Don't be. I sorta had this coming to me.", Kieya stated.

"No, you did not. But, if it would be of any worth to you, I did care for you.", he tells her.

Kieya closes her eyes and bows her head. "I know.", she said. She takes a sigh, "And I loved you for it."

She then opens up her eyes with tears streaming up from them, leans over to him and holds him tightly to her. She puts her hand behind his head to push it lower to her to give him a very passionate kiss. Soon she fades into the whiteness of the realm and is forever gone.

Fernando slowly turns to face Nana. "You do not know what you have done…", he tells her holding back his anger.

"I was a good girl, good in killing evil!", Nana stated loudly.

"She was not evil… BUT I AM!", Fernando tells her.

Nana gulps at the sounds of his words.

"SLEEP!", Fernando yells at her, the very words echo inside her head and echoing from inside her skull. She passes out and then fades away from realm.

Fernando closes his eyes and relaxes on his concentration, returning to the real world with an explosion of even more light in the realm, finding all on the floor sleeping with the exception of Kieya who was dead. He takes out his cellphone and calls Ferro. She answers her phone immediately.

"South East end of Lake Nemi's shore. Follow the signal of the phone.", Fernando says before dropping it to the floor. Ferro could be heard yelling back at him but he was not there to say a word as he walked away from the scene.

The SWA get there within minutes as they were already on their way, though at a much slower speed of travel than what Fernando would dare drive. When they get there, they could not believe what they were seeing: 2 cyborgs down, as was Nana with heavy damage to her arm, and Kieya down and obviously dead. It was not until their took vital signs that they realized that the others were still alive. Juanita stood in the center of the mess, reaching out telepathically to sense Fernando but could not sense him. The bodies were gathered up and taken to the nearby medical facility for evaluation.

The speckled view of the tiled white ceiling is seen as eyes opened up and focused upon reality. Life monitors got louder as the signals they measured increased. Dr. Bianchi, Ferro and Yuka run into the room.

"Where am I?", Nana asked as she rubbed her eyes with the back of her fists. Then she pauses for a and looks at both her hands, as if something was amiss.

"We fixed and put back the arm while you were out. Tell us what happened?", Dr. Bianchi said and then asked.

"I…", Nana started to say. "…don't remember."

"How convenient…", Ferro says to herself.

"Ferro…", Dr. Bianchi stated. "Its OK Nana. You will need to stay a couple of more days here before you can go home. Make sure that arm and the rest of you is OK. Alright?"

Nana just nods.

"You did well, Nana.", Yuka stated. "You were in a good girl…"

Nana gets up and stares at her for a good long moment before saying a word, "If I did good then why do I feel so bad?"

"Its OK Nana. You did good.", Ferro says.

"Look, you need to unpack one of the suitcases because Fernando has not yet return.", Juanita says. "You are not going to wear the same clothing again and again everyday!"

"Daddy is not going to return!", Rachel shouts back.

"And what makes you say that?", Juanita says.

"What for? To be held prisoner? To be asked questions he wont answer? You seen what they did to Francesca and I soon after we woke up! Increased Conditioning Medication, Dark Room Question And Answers Sessions, And For What?!! Answers We Did Not Have? Daddy knows what they will do to him if he ever decides to return here!", Rachel shouts out in answer.

"You really think he wont come back?", Francesca asks.

"He's done it before!", Rachel shouts out. "I BET YOU CANT EVEN SENSE HIM!", as she turns to Juanita.

Juanita does her best not to answer her. But its seen over 4 days and not a word from their leader, husband, father, and friend. Even Ferro was beginning to worry as all monitored calls and mail shows no trace of him. Both cars were searched for clues and none were found.

Not even foot prints on the park soil showed where he went as they headed deeper in to the park and stop in mid step. Bloodhounds could not track him, nor could the search team that scoured the area for 24 hours. He had disappeared off the face of the Earth as far as evidence showed. After the 10th day those who continued to push for his search had stopped. Even Ernesto, who was wanting to repay him for what happened was giving up on the search.

Each day that has past, Nana wakes up in the infirmary bed, staring at the ceiling every morning.


	14. Chapter 14

SWA: Diclonius End Game.

A Gunslinger Girl X Elfen Lied Crossover, by Elfen Magix.

* * *

Gunslinger Girl is © Yu Aida

Elfen Lied is © Lynn Okamotto

* * *

Chapter 14: Going Home.

Several days had past and still not a word from Fernando. Nana on the other hand was ready to go home. She had passed all cybernetic tests with flying colors, and Yuka has underwent her training of cyborg care and maintenance. Thus the final day has come for her to leave. She takes her belongings in a small carry-all bag and hops off the bed. With order to go to the main office, she picks up the written direction on a small piece of paper and reads them before she heads out the room. Opening the door however, there was a group of girls waiting for her outside.

"Where do you think you are going?", the one with the dual pony tails says to her.

"Uhm… I'm going home.", Nana slowly stated.

"No. Not yet.", she said as she took Nana's hat off her head. "So it is true."

"Give that back!", Nana shouted back as she tries to reach for it. Triela swings her hand out of Nana's reach. "Give It Back!"

"Or else what are you going to do…", Triela says.

"I promised to be a good girl. But I swear, I do not want people to get hurt…", Nana says.

"You don't want people to get hurt?", Triela asks but in a serious but yet mocking tone. She extends her arm forward, giving back the hat. "So, is it true that you killed Kieya?"

"I don't remember.", Nana answers.

"She was found passed out next to her dead body- remember?", Henrietta stated.

"If its true that you killed Kieya, you had done something that none of us 4 could have done.", Triela explains. "Tell me. Do you have those freaky invisible hands like she did?"

"I do because I am a Diclonius like she was.", Nana explained.

"OK. Then tell me, with these hands, you can block bullets, like I seen Kieya did?", Triela started. "No, don't tell me, Claes had already told me that you blocked everything she threw at you, including one shot that had her gun pressed to your skull. Tell me, how did you do that?"

"Why are you asking me these questions?", Nana stated.

"Simple. I want to know if the next generation of cyborgs will be like you and if so, will there be an upgrade package for us.", Triela asks.

"I doubt it.", Nana stated.

"Why do you doubt it?", Triela asks.

"Being Diclonius is something you are born as. Not given to you from a laboratory.", Nana answers.

"So, you are born with these horns, and this ability of having invisible hands?", Triela asks.

"Yes I was.", Nana says.

"And you are going home with your handler?", Triela asks.

"Yes I am. In Japan.", Nana answers.

"Japan?!!", the girls shout out.

"That is where I live…", Nana says.

"Will you be doing missions over there?", Rico asks.

"Missions?", Nana asks in return.

"You know- going after bad guys. Killing them…", Henrietta explains.

"Kill? I do not kill! I'm A Good Girl!", Nana says half panicked.

"Apparently, somebody killed Kieya. And you were the only one found there.", Pia stated.

"Fernando was there.", Henrietta stated. "Maybe he killed her?"

"That's fool talk, Henrietta. Seeing them together, you would think they were in Love.", Pia said sternly.

"In love?", Rico asks.

"Ernesto and I found them sitting on a blanket next to a tree holding hands. It was like something like out of one of Claes' Romance Novels, YUCK!", Pia stated.

"I can see why Kieya chopped off Ernesto's hand then. You two interrupted them in their moment of romance.", Triela stated.

"WAIT A MINUTE! Fernando's Married to Francesca! And She Says That He Is Very Loyal To Her!", Henrietta shouts back. "He Would Not Ever Cheat On Her!!"

"I doubt that. All men want some nookie. And they don't care where they get it from either. When was the last time you heard of a cyborg giving it up to her fratello?", Pia tauntingly says and asks.

"PETRA AND ALESSANDRO!", the girls yell at her. Pia becomes very quiet afterwards, for she realizes if the girls knew about Petra and her handler, what of the others, including herself. Some secrets a girl would take to her grave.

"That still does not answer, what happened to Fernando. Did you kill him too?", Triela asks, "And then hid his body?"

"Uhm… Like I said, I do not remember.", Nana says.

"Maybe they made her forget what happened…", Henrietta whispers but loud enough to be heard.

"Hmmm…", Triela says to her herself.

The elevator on the far end of the hallway opens, with Ferro, and Yuka stepping out of it.

"Jeesus- that must be her handler….", one of them says. They all huddle around Nana, Triela taking her hand.

"Look, we welcome you to the compound anytime you are in Italy…", Triela says out loud.

"What is this?", Ferro says as she steps up to the group of girls. They all look up at her for a moment, giving her that spooky 'Need Further Input' stare.

"Oh… nothing… She's a cyborg, right? So, she will be spending her days with us, right?", Triela tries to say.

"Not this one. She will be going to her home in Japan, but between annual check ups and an occasional mission, she will not be coming back.", Ferro explains.

"Awww…", all the girls went.

"I'll see what we could do on coming back.", Yuka says. "But you are also welcomed to come by our place if you like, we got plenty of room…"

"I'll take that into consideration.", Ferro says. "Come Nana, you're going home now."

"Bye Nana!", the girls all said in their own placement, as Nana started to walk away. Soon they were entering the elevator. The girls stood looking at the door.

"What kind of a name is Nana?", one of them said.

"What kind of a name is Pia? Sounds like you're gonna pee all over the place!", Triela stated.

"Hey! You Take That Back!", Pia shouted.

"Make me…", Triela stated as she started to walk to the elevator.

"Wait a minute- about all those questions we had for her?", Rico asks.

"Too late, she's gone.", Henrietta answers.

In a couple of hours, Yuka and Nana were in their huge hotel room packing away their suit cases. Days before Kouta had already taken Nyu/Lucy and Mayu home to Japan. A loud and stern knock came from their door, making them freeze in their places momentarily. Again somebody knocks on the door. Yuka slowly walks to the door, leans against it.

"Who is it?", Yuka asks.

"It is Ryunoske Higuchi of the Japanese Embassy Travel Advisory Board. Is this where Yuka and Nana are staying?"

Yuka slowly opens the door, seeing a man in a dark suit and dark glasses standing there with an open wallet showing some form of official looking identification stating who he was. Feeling less threatened, she opens the wider, but in doing revealed to her that there were several more men waiting in the hall. For a second, she gets a little nervous.

"Do not worry about them. They are here for your protection.", Ryunoske stated.

"Our protection?", Yuka asks.

"We are aware of your work with the SWA. We are also aware of her and what was done to her.", Ryunoske added, momentarily pointing at Nana. "The Italian government is not so likely to give up their prized cyborg secrets and are planning to take Nana back, whether you agree to it or not remains to be seen. But heed my words, if you would have went on by yourselves, chances are you would have been brought back to their agency or killed in trying to fight them off. That is why we are here. Mind if I come in?"

"Uhm…" Yuka started to say as she stepped out of the way. Ryunoske slowly walked into through the doorway, holding up four fingers as he did. Four other agents walked in after him, the last one closing the door behind them. Each one took a different direction but all walked about the hotel suite, giving it an inspector's eye to it. One of them notices a package on the dining table, labeled, "Fernando, room 2703". He signals to Ryunoske over, who gives it another look.

"Fernando has been missing for several days. What makes you think that he would be getting it?", Ryunoske says and asks.

"Uhm… How do you know about Fernando? And that he is missing?", Yuka asks.

"I can not answer those questions, but I can take you to somebody who can.", Ryunoske says.

"We have to catch the next plane to Tokyo International ", Yuka says to them.

"A private charter can be used to send you home. Consider it a gift from the Imperial Embassy of Japan.." Ryunoske tells her. "But first, we must get to the Embassy. There are some important papers for you to sign for over staying your medical visa."

"Uhm…", Yuka started to say.

"You really have no choice. You cant board the plane on an expired visa.", Ryunoske explains. "Come, you got some paperwork to sign."

The others in the room gather their belongings and helped the girls out the room. Ryunoske gathers the package from the table. The girls are taken down stairs to the garage to an awaiting van. Ryunoske arrives a couple of minutes later, stating that he left the package with the hotel clerk. Once belted in, the van leaves the garage and to the Japanese Embassy across town. They arrive there in under 20 minutes, not requiring to go through any check points or personnel searches.

Yuka and Nana are taken to an elaborate room of fancy tables and chairs, with a tray full of food on the largest table to eat. They left alone for a while, until a couple of secretaries come in with clip boards, asking them standard questions for their visas. They answered to the best of their abilities. After they were done with the questioning, Yuka and Nana sign at the bottom of the forms. The secretaries leave, stating they would return with their updated visas.

Ryunoske enters the room with a much older gentle man.

"Ladies, this is Ambassador Sakamoto.", he tells them. They all bow and exchange greetings before taking their seats. Sakamoto offers them some of the food on the table. He takes a small and delicate pastry from one of the plates, putting it in his mouth, swallowing it when done.

"I just have one question to ask you.", Sakamoto beings.

"Is there a problem?", Yuka asks.

"There is.", Sakamoto answers. "But I will be blunt about it.", he continues, before pointing to Nana, "How can you be so sure that that thing wont attack anyone when it gets home?"

"Huh?", Yuka gasped.

"I have no problems sending you home, but your friend will need to be detained for public safety.", Sakamoto explains.

"Now wait a minute!", Yuka held back from shouting. "This person is my friend and part of my family!"

"Granted, but can you fully guarantee that she would one day not go berserk and rampage around the town? Japan has had recent bad press of its Diclonius problem and she is a Diclonius!", Sakamoto argues.

"As my friend and family, I will do my best to stop her from harming anyone else.", Yuka stated.

"You are not capable of doing that, though you say you can. I understand what the mind wants is what the body cant have or do.", Sakamoto explains. "If Fernando could not stop her, what makes you think you can?"

"Personally I would like to know what she did to Fernando, if she can answer that.", Ryunoske added.

"I don't remember!", Nana shouted back.

"A likely story.", Sakamoto insisted. "One who was as highly trained as Fernando was, would be difficult to defeat in battle."

"Training means little to Diclonius.", a voice says in the back of the room. From one of the large windows, the curtains shifted, and a lone figure of a man walks out to them. An eerie mechanical whizzing sound can be heard as he took each step. "Is that right, Nana…", he continues as he stands before the group.

"Bando?", Nana asks.

"So you do remember me.", Bando says. He walks up to her and takes her arm, giving it a tug. "Hmmm… so they fixed you up good and pretty, didn't they?", he says.

"Bando! Tell Them! Nana is a good girl! That Nana would never ever hurt anyone!", Nana pleaded with him.

"I could do that. Nana has been a good girl, but then I found out that she lied to me.", Bando started to explain.

"But… I was protecting a friend!", Nana pleaded.

"And how can I dismiss that? Good girls do not lie, not even if they are protecting somebody else with the lie. Especially what she had done to me?", Bando stated as he showed off his crude version of his cybernetic hand and arm with exposed servos and linkages.

"Now, back to Square One: Kieya was found dead, her head torn off- a typical Diclonius tactic when in fighting. You were found next to her, unconscious, and was so for several days in the SWA Medical Wing. Now, putting one and two together- you killed Kieya.", Sakamoto stated.

"I… don't remember doing that!", Nana shouted.

"Don't speak unless spoken too.", Sakamoto tells her sternly. He continues, "You killed Kieya, no doubt you killed Fernando. Now, you, Yuka. I have no qualms in sending you home…"

"I'm not leaving without her!", Yuka shouted.

"You will leave when you are told to do so.", Sakamoto tells her.

"There is a bit of a small problem, though.", Ryunoske said. He reaches into his suit and pulls out the wrapped box that was on the hotel room table, with Fernando's name and room number on it. He places it on the middle of the table.

"I see.", Sakamoto said as he reached for the package. He opens it.

"Wait a minute! That's Private!", Yuka yells at him.

Sakamoto ignores her as the box is opened and he pulls out what was inside, giving it an inspector's eye. "If it were your pink lace silk underwear, I would see your complaint.", as he aims the gun at her. "But this… this is an American Arms model M1981/84 .45 caliber pistol. A 1911 variant by American Arms, they are no longer made, not since before you were your born- a real keepsake of a collector's item if there ever was one. It just so happens to be Fernando's gun. And you had it… and were intending to give it back. Tell me, how, if your friend here killed him and done away with his body…"

"That's not true!", Yuka yells back.

"Then explain how was he going to get this from beyond the grave?", Ryunoske asked.

"I thought that in leaving it with the hotel clerk that he would get it.", Yuka stated with some concern.

"You thought.", Sakamoto said loudly. "That's the problem, you think too much. You think that a missing person would eventually get his belongings, You think that a natural born killer that Diclonius are would no longer kill. Do you understand your problem?!!"

Yuka tries not to cry though a tear eludes her emotional guard.

"Now lets not be too harsh on the girls.", another voice says from behind the room. The curtains rustle as someone steps out from behind them. Along with the footsteps, there was a metallic ping with each step as he approached the group, taking steps that circles the group. He takes the gun from Sakamoto and tosses it on Yuka's lap.

"You are supposed to give me that when next we meet. Well…?", he told her.

"How…? Everyone says that you're dead?…", Yuka says.

"You would not be able to return my gun to me if I was dead, now could you?", he states to her.

"But… Why?…", Yuka says as she was a lost for words.

"Lets start off with you hand me my gun and I say 'thank you…'.", he stated to her as he reached out to her. Yuka slowly takes the gun off her lap and extends her arm, giving it to him. He takes the gun fro her grasp. "Thank you.", he tells her as he holsters the weapon after a quick check. "Now for your answer…"

He takes a sigh as he walks over to an empty chair, sitting on it's arm, putting his eye-seeing came between his knees as he begins his explanation. "Now, Sakamoto, whether no one will speak for Nana or not, I will speak for her. Consider what she has been through, and that she has yet to kill a human or Diclonius in her entire life; that is until recently. Consider that she was ordered by the Italian government to go after Kieya, fight her, and capture her dead or alive as part of her deal to have the advanced cybernetics that replaces her amputated arms and legs. Consider that Kieya was not going to be captured alive, forcing Nana into the only alternative she could but did not want to take. Finally, consider that Kieya ripped off her cybernetic arm from her body, like Lucy did to her before in her first fight, and in that reliving the horror of becoming what she was- being without arms and legs. She panics and lashes out at Kieya, taking off her head in the process. So, Nana did kill Kieya in the process of capture and defense. That says more to me than anything else. Nana has proven herself to be safe, reliable and dependable as far as being a human killing Diclonius machine. Any problems you could get from her would be if you attacked her or her little family first- for her these are the people she loves and protects, even if she has to lie for them. Just like anyone else would, is that right Mr. Bando?"

"I supposed you're right.", Bando says as he grumbles to himself.

"Is that a vote in her favor her, Mr. Bando?", he asks.

Bando can only scowl at Fernando for a moment. "Alright. It is. But you are going to owe me for this.", Bando tells him.

"I don't owe anyone anything. But I'll see about getting your improved cybernetics or cloned implants. Which would you prefer?", Fernando says and then asks.

"Cybernetics.", Bando stated. "Less down time with cybernetics. Cloned implants can take years to heal and function properly."

"I see. OK. We'll do both. Maybe in 5 years time, you will be back to your normal self, until then, you will have improved cybernetics implanted. Similar to Nana's though I cant say if they are better or not- but yours will be a mixture of Japanese Corporation and international government technologies. So your downtime will be minimal.", Fernando explained. "Sakamoto, contact M.H.I. and ask about their NK-1124 project and see what they can do for Mr. Bando, and I'll see about the SWA doing a joint technology research with M.H.I. on improving the technologies and Mr. Bando will be the test bed for that technology."

Sakamoto nods slightly as if to himself. "Deal.", he then says.

"Now with 3 votes for Nana, she can go home.", Fernando stated.

"Not so fast…", Ryunoske stated. "Explain how you got here."

Fernando looked at Ryunoske for a moment, almost wanting to slap him for opening his big mouth.

"My entourage brought him over here from the park.", Sakamoto stated to him.

"Eh- what?", Ryunoske asked in confusion.

"You have a lot to learn when it comes to certain individuals and their rights and powers within our Imperial Government. As a key figure in the Secret Order of the Chrysanthemum Case, Fernando is a national hero. There is nothing Japan would do for him but all he wants is friendship and respect. So we give it. As such when he called my office for a bit of assistance and a quick recovery from the park, I sent my men to recover him. They brought him here and we discussed the situation at hand. If he can trust you, Nana, then so must I. But don't take it lightly. Though you have not killed in cold blood like the others of your kind, people are no so willing to forgive or forget what happened in the past. Nor are they willing to be helpful to those with horns."

"Life may not be easy Nana.", Fernando tells her. "But if you work hard enough, you can become somebody who has earned the respect of their country. Right Mr. Bando?"

"Oh, right, sure…", Bando says just to agree with him.

"What about you?", Yuka asks. "The Agency wants to arrest you for what happened."

"Why do you think I'm here? While you are some 55-thousand feet in the air, traveling some 760 miles per hour, heading home to Japan; I'll be here discussing with the head of the SWA of what happened, and why it was allowed to happen. Meanwhile, Kieya, through me and a couple of friends here (Sakamoto again nods), will have a proper funeral. As much as Japan owes me, Italy owes me several times over in the past nuclear cases I solved for them. If it were not for me, Rome would be a smoldering crater of radioactive waste right now. I insist on getting payment. The Japanese Embassy and any of its vehicles are Neutral Territory. They can not arrest me while I am here, and besides- how would it look to their news media that their national hero is arrested over a slight disagreement with some office policy?", Fernando explains.

Yuka can only look at him with her jaw dropped opened.

"That is how it goes in the spy game. When you have them by their balls, their hearts and minds will follow.", Fernando adds. "It is just a matter of showing them that you do have them by their balls. People may not believe that you do unless you given their balls a good tug." He pauses for a second. "I believe that there is charter jet waiting in the airport for you two. Give the others my respect, including what's his name… And look me up when you are here or in New York City."

"Uhm…", Yuka started, wanting to say something, but cant find the words. Nana gets up and walks up to Fernando, stopping in front of him. He is aware of her secretively inserting a vector into his forehead, activating their telepathic connection.

_ "I already said everything that had to be said."_

_ "I just want to know, did I really kill Kieya?"_

_ "You relax while I reactive those memory engrams that were put into passive state…"_

_ Fernando concentrates, unlocking her memories that were put on hold. Nana does not like what she sees, in that she had already won the fight by shutting down Kieya's Pineal gland with her vector, but also she had cut off Kieya's head when there was no need too. Strangely, no tears flow though the emotional water works inside was turned on._

_ "You can be made to forget again."_

_ "No. I did wrong, and I need to remember this so I never ever do it again."_

_ "Have it your way then. Just one thing."_

_ "What is it?"_

_ "Be a good girl, and do right for your and your family, not what some group of people in suits or lab coats tells you."_

_ Nana nods._

The vector is released, and she unexpectedly give Fernando a hug.

Within the hour, Yuka and Nana were on their way home, some 55-thousand feet in the air at about 650 miles per hour on a small chartered jet. Fernando sits alone in the room, taking to the bits of pastry and coffee from the table.

Several men in black suits and dark glasses approach the reception area of the main office of the SWA. They ask for Ms. Ferro Milani by name. When told that she was not available, they tell the receptionist to "disrupt her from any and all meetings of the day as this is a rather matter of urgency and importance." One of them slides a pair of dark glasses on her desk.

Ferro arrives to the main reception area, where the men waited for her by the receptionist's desk. "Gentlemen, how can I help you?", she asks.

"We have somebody who needs to see you.", the group's leader says, handing the dark pair of glasses to her. "He is in our custody and care at the moment, but requested an audience with you."

"I will need to make a few phone calls first before I can leave.", Ferro tells them.

"No need. Right now our ambassador is calling your agency director, requesting for your immediate services. We leave when you get verification of that call.", the group leader tells her.

Just within the ending of the spoken sentence, Ferro's blackberry cell phone rings. She answers it. "Hello? Yes chief. Uhm, yes. Alone? Alright, I will do what I can. Yes. Uhm… I will see you later when I am done." She looks at them as she slowly puts away her cell phone. To her this reeks of the owner of the dark glasses she holds. Within a 1/2 hour, she was entering the Japanese Embassy, meeting with the Ambassador and his guest.

She looks at them as they sat before her, looking back at her.

"Have a seat, Ms Milani.", Ambassador Sakamoto signals to her. "Coffee or tea and pastries are on the table if you like."

"Thank you but no, I'll pass.", Ferro started. "Now Fernando, what are you doing here? And why?"

"To my understanding you have an arrest warrant for him. As Japan's national hero, I can not allow that to happen and he is under our protection. Furthermore, isn't he Italy's national hero as well? You would be doing him a great disservice if you arrest him. What would that say to all the other national heroes your country has?", Sakamoto began.

"That is none of your concern.", Ferro started.

"You- as in the agency- wanted Kieya, and you wanted her dead. You got both. You broke our deal in doing so. So, I have to ask, how can I now trust you? I cant. For you following the agency's orders and directive are a higher priorities than maintaining a deal you have made with one of its members. As I promised, Kieya would have surrendered on the seventh day, but you decided to attack her on the third day, and fulfilled the agency's ordered of capturing her dead. I would have lived to my end of the promise, but you broke your end of the deal. So, tell me. How can I trust you in anything now?", Fernando interrupts her.

"You were harboring a known criminal- a murderer who killed in a scale I have not seen in historical terms.", Ferro explains.

"She killed in self defense. You would too if people kicked you when you were down, chased you with an unruly mob hell bent in doing the same to you. She had no choice but to defend herself.", Fernando tells her.

"Only a court judge can decide what was self defense of not.", Ferro tells him.

"Oh really. I wonder how you would take if you saw it through her eyes?", Fernando says, while concentrating on her brain frequencies and patterns.

They both stood together in a space filled in a light fog, light seems to be emanating from everywhere it seem.

"What the…"

"You always said that I seem to have some sort of hidden talent of figuring out things most cant. You even have stated that I have the devil's luck. Well, welcome to my world- the world of the mind, where telepathic beings travel through from mind to mind."

"What are you telling me?"

"Before she died, Kieya gave her the sum of her living memories, which I am about to give to you so you can properly judge her accordingly."

Fernando concentrates on Ferro some more, getting into her memories and core dumping Kieya's memories into an empty slot he could find, and then starts to play them back for Ferro. She stands there frozen with eyes wide open as her mind relives Kieya's life; the bullying she had been through, the attacks that were done to her, the things she had to endure in trying to be a good girl, and the scars and bruises she hid.

"Now judge her accordingly."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"How are you doing this and how can I trust those memories were not falsely generated?"

"I already told you how I am doing this. As for the memories, the dying do not lie. If they were false, you would have noticed gaps and fractured events. Were there any?"

"No."

"Then they were not false memories. Shall I play them again?"

"No! I mean, that is not necessary."

"Then judge."

"How?"

"Was she justified in defending herself, first of all?"

"Uhm…"

"Was there another way out of the situation, perhaps a peaceful resolution?"

"I…"

"You understand now why I defended her as I did?"

"Uhm… Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"You had no right in doing what you did."

"I defend those who can not defend themselves. Whether is be a city under nuclear threat or an individual under the threat of being hunted like Kieya was. She needed my help, and it was obvious where Section 2 was going with this. Thus I acted as best as I could with what little I got even though the girls and I were delayed in going home when this started."

"About that…"

"Don't tell me you are going to renig on your deal on that too…?"

"Francesca stays."

"Then you tell her that. Send Juanita and Rachel home to New York and tell Francesca that I am dead, and see how she will react to that."

"I cant do that."

"Why not? You seem to do as you please. When it best suits the agency and its priorities."

"That is not true. I have bent over backwards for you many times in backing you up!"

"That was only when it best suited the agency. But like Jean and Ernesto, if it was deemed that I was no longer justifiable and have become a liability, you would try to terminate me as soon as you could carry out those orders. Just remember this place you call home would be a smoldering crater of radioactive ash if it were not for me and my actions."

"And you were awarded with Italy's highest honors for your action then."

"Not good enough. You- the agency- kept on trying to squeeze as much juice out of this lemon as possible. And when you could no longer get juice out of me, you went for other things- all in trying to get back the investment you put into my daughter and wife. Wasn't saving Rome and the rest of Italy not once but Twice good enough? Isn't the lives of millions a high enough price for a little privacy? Perhaps if I asked for 1 Euro for every potential life saved that you would believe that the price would have been fulfilled? Is your life worth 1 Euro, Ferro?

"No, it is not. But you had a contract with us."

"That contract expired years ago, only to be extended with conditions and clauses, none of which actually applied as long as this lemon kept on wringing out juice. And now here I am, contract expired, did in what I had to do was right and you want to put me away for crimes created by others. You want your precious SWA exposed for what it is? Remember UN Resolution #A/RES/54/263 and the trouble is caused? Want that to happen again? Arrest me and all that will be exposed for the courts and the media to see, with the US and Japanese Embassy leading the evidence into the court room by the tractor trailer load. So your choice is simple- drop the charges against me, let us go home to New York City and retire- Francesca as well, and never call us again. If not, if in if you allow us to leave and something were to happen to us along the way- all this will be unleashed like a pact of rabid dogs upon you and the agency. Understand where I am coming from?"

"I'm calling your bluff on this one."

"You got 24 hours for me to reach a computer terminal in New York and stop it from occurring.

"Again, I'm calling your bluff on this one."

"Then so be it."

The light in their space brightened up intensely, and reality faded back in. In the minutes it seemed the conversation took to take in the telepathic realm, only a couple of seconds in the real world. Fernando gets up and takes a couple of steps to Ferro.

"You could have me killed, but I am not going to abide to your rules ever again. Juanita and the girls will be going home with me whether the agency likes it or not. Do anything to stop that and there will be a hell to pay the likes you wish you never saw. This much I will guarantee for you- You will be kept alive to witness what will transpire- only because you are too much of an agency bitch to do the right thing. Now the only clue you will have for even Hell on Earth happens in your homeland is when the homeless of Rome leaves the city and its many supporting agencies. Some might think that is a miracle. But for you it will be a sign of things to come.", Fernando tells her.

"Is that all?", Ferro asks.

"Just one more thing.", he tells her.

"And what would that be?", Ferro asks.

"Sleep…", he says.

Ferro passes out on the chair.

"Sakamoto- you know what to do with her. Be prepared to gather the girls this evening at the hotel. Send them to Madrid, I'll have the Royal family there helping out to hide them for a while. Then they'll go to Japan and perhaps finally New York in the upcoming weeks.", Fernando explains.

"And what about you?", Sakamoto.

"I'll be heading to the Vatican to see a man about a pale horse.", Fernando answers.

Fernando gets up, and leaves the room.

Later that evening, Juanita, Rachel and Francesca, as well as their property were picked up from the hotel, put onto a tourist bus, and hidden within its compartments. The US Embassy picked up the rest of Fernando's equipment and hardware. Ferro was found unconscious, tied up and gagged in an old Padania warehouse which was taken over by the government facilities some years ago. As the Japanese tourist bus left for the airport, it was stopped and searched several times for its occupants. Only agents of the Japanese Intelligence and Analysis Service were found, along with their equipment and their belongings. After the fourth search, just yards of the airport gates found nothing, it was allowed to enter the airport and proceed to a private hanger. A Boeing 737-BJ belonging to the Japanese consulate was packed. With its passengers and belongings. It was allowed to take off from the runway, taking a route to Madrid to refuel and continue to Japan through an Artic passage.

In Madrid, a group of young ladies were told to wait on the tarmac by the hander, along with their belongings. Within the next few minutes a caravan of limousines approached and stopped in front of them. Men gathered about to gather their belongings, as the head driver stepped up to them.

"Excuse me for my bad English. You are here on behalf of arrangements made by the Royal court and are guests of our country. First off all, before you can be taken to safety, let me see your passports and identifications.", the driver asks. He was shown assorted paper work, and agreed to their compliance. He continued, "You ladies have any personal items we should be aware of, weapons perhaps? I was told that you would be armed." The young ladies showed them their firearms and were told to keep them and put them away. "Just one final question before we go. Where is your male companion?"

"We do not know.", Juanita answers. "We are not even sure why we are here."

"All will be explained in due time. Right now, get into the vehicles so you can be taken to your rooms at the Madrid Palace Gran Hotel.", the driver explains. "After you rest up from your trip, you are to meet with our supervisor in the morning on the matters of your stay here. This way please."

The girls get into the lead vehicle, and were escorted away to their destination of the finest accommodations Spain had to offer.

During the evening hours in the medical ward of the SWA Compound, Ferro was shocked into waking up. Lorenzo, Jean and Dr. Bianchi were in attendance to ask her questions, starting with, "What happened?"

"I do not know. What happened I have to ask.", Ferro stated.

"Juanita and the rest of Fernando's team was picked up by the Japanese Embassy. Though we had every outgoing vehicle searched as they entered the airport, we do not know if they are even in Rome. You were found unconscious, tied up and gagged in front of that warehouse of Fernando's last mission. Now tell us what had happened." Jean tells her sternly.

"Take it easy, Jean. We do not know if she was drugged or brainwashed.", Dr. Bianchi tells him.

"What happened?", Ferro asked.

"Juanita and the rest of Fernando's team were picked up by the Japanese Embassy and taken away. We had all outgoing Japanese affiliated traffic searched for them but could not find them. They might still be in the Japanese Embassy.", Lorenzo tells her. "Now, what do you know of this? Where could they have gone? With 2 cyborgs unaccounted for and a third thousand of miles away in its home land, are you going to account for this failure?"

"No, but… uhm… I do have a message from Fernando.", Ferro says.

"What it is?", Lorenzo asks.

"His message is, "We are to be left alone." He threatened of consequences if they were not left alone."

"What kind of consequences?", Lorenzo asked sternly.

"He stated that Rome would be a smoldering crater of radioactive ash is anything were to happen to him or the girls.", Ferro explained.

"Why that bastard!", Lorenzo says out loud, though the others say it to themselves.

"He also stated that the only clue you would receive before this happens is that the homeless of Rome would leave.", Ferro stated.

Lorenzo's private cell phone rang. He digs into his pocket and takes it out, answering the call.

"Hello Prime Minister. Uhm, yes, we are currently discussing the situation among the staff. Sir? The Vatican Council… what? Uhm… OK sir. Thank you. See you in next week's meeting.", Lorenzo could be heard speaking to his phone.

"What was that about, sir?", Jean asks.

"The decisions be made for us by the powers that be. We are to leave those who left alone. That includes Fernando, his team, the Japanese cyborg and her family.", Lorenzo stated.

"Sir…?", Jean stated.

"I said leave them alone!", Lorenzo barks back. He then takes a couple of steps to the door, and stops midway for a moment, "Even if it means that any of them return to the compound. They are to be left alone."

Lorenzo continues his walk to the door, stopping when he grabs the door knob. "Dr. Bianchi. A representative from the Vatican will arrive to pick up Kieya's body. Give it to them without delay or excuses."

"But sir, we are not finished examining it!", Dr. Bianchi shouted.

"Put her back together and hand them the remains. There will be a medical expert on their behave to make assurances that it will be done.", Lorenzo stated. "I would not want any negatives going back to the Prime Minister from them. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

"Yes sir.", Dr. Bianchi answers. Lorenzo leaves the room, followed by Dr. Bianchi to get Kieya's body in order.

Jean looks at Ferro, who was getting up from the hospital bed, taking off the wires that measured her life signs. She then takes off the IV and hops off the bed. She finds her clothes nearby and puts them on.

"Well?", Ferro asks sternly to Jean.

"Nothing.", Jean said.

"Fernando is right.", Ferro says to herself but loud enough to be heard.

"What do you mean by that?", Jean asks.

"Fernando once stated to me that he finds dealing with failure difficult. But the agency will find it more difficult to handle.", Ferro explains.

"Meaning?", Jean asks.

"The agency failed, when we thought we had won. Will personnel and cyborgs lost, this price of victory was too high to pay.", Ferro explains.

"You failed, we did not.", Jean said as he walked out the room.

Within the following hour, a hearse with small Vatican flag on its front fenders rolls into the parking lot of the SWA, positioning itself for the rear end parked close to the sidewalk and entrance of the medical facility. Four men carry a black coffin and put it into the rear compartment of the hearse, before entering its front and side compartment. The driver stands by as he is given papers to sign by Ferro. Soon the hearse drives away as Ferro looks at the paperwork to see if it was properly signed. She freezes in place and gawks at the fancy script the initials of 'F G' were put in. The same fancy script Fernando uses.

Kieya was given a proper funeral and burial in a cemetery in south of Rome. It was a private affair with only one in attendance.

"It was nice knowing you, kid. And I'm sorry I failed. But you are in a better place now, a place where you understand what is going on.", the lone figure stated. "If you see Cathy or Denise up there. Tell her I'm sorry too."

A bouquet of black roses were placed on the earthen mound where the body laid in its sealed box. The wind seemed to have gusted up a bit, going around in a tiny vortex and passes through him, then quickly dissipates.

A door opens to the hotel room, and Juanita enters with a puzzled look on her face as she looks over the contents of the mail.

"What is it, Juanita?", Francesca asks.

"These are airplane tickets to the Bahamas.", Juanita answers, though unsure how exactly say it.

"Bahamas?", Francesca asks.

"There are instructions to just take the bare minimum. 'Listen to the man in the black suit', everything will be taken cared of when you get there. Bikinis are in order, anything else does not matter. See you there.', it says. Uhm… its signed with Fernando's fancy initials.". Juanita explains.


End file.
